Homemade Pumpkin Soup

Though known for its high nutritional content, I somehow feel that pumpkin is not a popular vegetable, especially among Asians. I may not be right, but at least it is to the people around me, cos' it wasn't introduced into our diet. On the other hand, it is so much used in western food culture, such as in soups, pies, breads...and so on. Pumpkin bread shall be next in my list. :)

I started to learn to eat pumpkin after I tried out a simple dish of baked pumpkin introduced in an article. As it is rather sweet on its own, and mashy when cooked, I feel that baking it without much added flavourings brings out the best texture and flavour. I realised I love starchy food, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkins (not the wet, mashy type my mum cooked :P)

When I saw Daphne's speedy pumpkin soup, I made a note that I shall try it someday. :) It was really simple, if not for the cutting and peeling of the hard pumpkin skin. In the recipe, Daphne did not mentioned how to prepare vegetable stock, so I guess the easiest way is to use....yes those prepared vegetable stock sold in cubes!

Modified from Daphne's recipe,

Ingredients:

• 0.75 kg pumpkin (about half whole pumpkin, not chopped yet)
• Half red onion, sliced
• 2 cups of vege stock
• Herbs of your fancy
• Salt n cracked pepper
• Toasted almonds

Method:

1. Skin pumpkin shell, remove seeds and chopped into cubes.
2. Arrange pumpkins and sliced onions onto baking trays, roast at 180°C for about 30 minutes, or until soft.
3. Boil stock (I used Knorr Brand vegetable stock cubes - Add 3/4 cube into 2 cups water).
4. When stock boils, add pumpkin and herbs (I used dried oregano).
5. After about 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and cool.
6. Use hand blender, mash pumpkin till smooth.
7. Return to heat. Stir gently till heated through.
8. Ladle and sprinkle toasted almonds.
9. Serve warm!

Recipe Source: Daphne - More than Words

This recipe serves 2-3

The soup was rich and tasty! Could it be due to the vegetable stock which contained MSG? Hehe...I only realised it later. :P You may used half of the vegetable stock cube as I find it a little salty to my liking. :)