Name: Pumpkin Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Australia
Ingredients: 1.2 kg pumpkin (such as Jap or Kent pumpkin), peeled and cubed; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 2 tbsp butter or olive oil; 800 ml vegetable or chicken stock; 100 ml heavy cream, plus extra to serve; salt and black pepper, to taste; crusty bread, to serve

Pumpkin soup is about as common in Australian home kitchens and cafés as a soup gets, smooth, naturally sweet, and finished with just enough cream to round it out.

The pumpkin variety matters more than people expect. A dense, sweet type, like a Jap or Kent pumpkin, gives a far better result than a watery one grown mainly for decoration.

Part of our 20 best Australian recipes list.

method

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and soften the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.

Add the pumpkin and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pumpkin is completely tender.

Blend until completely smooth, using an immersion blender or in batches in a countertop blender.

Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Warm through gently if needed, without boiling once the cream is in. Serve with a swirl of extra cream and crusty bread.

chef's tips

A dense, sweet pumpkin variety, such as a Jap or Kent pumpkin, gives a noticeably better result than a watery variety bred mainly for carving.
Blend it properly smooth. This soup lives or dies on texture, and a few unblended lumps undercut the whole point of a silky bowl.
Add the cream at the end and avoid a hard boil afterward, which can cause it to split in a soup this thin.
This freezes very well without the cream. Add it fresh after reheating a frozen batch, rather than freezing it already stirred in.