Curried Pumpkin, Butternut & Apple Soup

Ingredients

This is a beautifully thick, creamless soup to serve with a rustic loaf, as part of a soup-and-salad meal, or as a starter course at Christmas or Thanksgiving. By using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and eliminating the bacon (or pancetta or speck), the soup suits vegetarian diets. Easy to make but oh-so-elegant, finished with a swirl of cream and a few drops of garlic or truffle OilEssenceTM.

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 small clove garlic, minced or passed through a press.
• 8 strips fatty smoked bacon, pancetta, prosciutto or speck (German proscuitto), diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 to 4 cups vegetable, vegetable or chicken broth - or half-and half with water. use more for thinner soup, less for thicker soup.
• 1-15 oz can pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree with spices added)
• 1-15 oz can butternut squash puree*
• 1-15 oz can sweet potato puree*
• 1 large granny smith or other intensely flavoured apple, chopped fine or shredded
• few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only - optional
• 1 or 2 teaspoons DM Canadian Curry Spice
• few grinds DM Himalayan Pink Rock Salt, to taste
• sour cream, creme fraiche, or plain yogurt for garnish - optional
• few drops cognac or brandy for garnish - optional
• DM Garlic or White Truffle OilEssenceTM for onion/garlic saute and garnish - optional

*Use any combination of squash or pumpkin puree only, as available or preferred. If using fresh squash instead of canned, prepare eight cups of pulp to mash to six cups of puree.

Methodology

In a large soup or stock pot over gently heat, render fat from bacon, proscuitto or pancetta.  Do not crisp or burn meat.  Remove rendered meat and drain on paper towel - set aside.  Add olive oil to pot, still on gentle heat, and sweat diced onion and garlic until onion is soft and somewhat transparent (if desired, add a few drops of DM White Truffle or Garlic OilEssenceTM to the saute oil). 

Add DM Canadian Curry Spice plus the thyme leaves and heat through to activate oils and boost flavour - stirring constantly. Remove from heat immediately so spices and leaves do not burn.  Add puree and apple, plus half of the stock.  Stir and return to heat, stirring occasionally, adding remaining stock as desired.  Season with a soft salt like DM Himalayan Pink Rock Salt, then simmer for 30 minutes or so or until the apple is soft. 

Remove from heat and use an immersible blender to puree all ingredients (or puree in batches, in a blender). The finished soup can be eaten immediately, but benefits from a longer simmer.

We overstock this soup just a touch to allow a longer simmer time and evaporation. If the soup is to be refrigerated and then re-heated, then this is especially important. 

Ladel into warm soup bowels and garnish if desired with a thick and creamy swirl of sour cream, creme fraiche or plain yogurt.  Sprinkle a few drops of brandy or cognac overtop, garnish further with the cooked bacon, proscuitto or pancetta - and voila!

Submitted by:

C@H Kitchen