Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup

One of my favourite soups all year round, Hokkaido pumpkin soup is delicious and healthy. Although one can use any kind of squash or pumpkin to make this soup, I always go for Hokkaido. I love its delicate sweet and slightly nutty flavour. Not only that, it is very rich in vitamins A, B and C, minerals like calcium, magnesium to name a few and fibres! Its use is wonderfully diverse; you can process it into soups, jams, compote, cakes and pies.

Its tiny size makes it easy to work with. Still, you need to be careful not to cut yourself, as you will have to use a sharp knife. Make sure your cutting board is firm and doesn’t move to avoid any unwanted injuries. Wash your Hokkaido and carefully cut it into pieces. Remove seeds and fibres and peel if desired, but there is no need to, as its peel beautifully softens during cooking.

The amount of stock has to be adjusted in the recipe if your Hokkaido pieces weigh more or less than what is stated in the recipe. As a rule the stock or water has to completely cover the vegetables.

One last thing; if you have a husband like me that surprises with quite a few organic Hokkaido, you can prepare them ahead, and store portions of pumpkin cubes in your freezer. They always come in handy on cold winter days.

Bon appétit!

Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup

Dina Bayoud Kohl

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 55 mins

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine International

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 60 g butter
• 1 medium onion peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 small Hokkaido peeled and cut into small cubes (about 500-600 g)
• 1 large potato 200 g, peeled and cut in cubes
• 1 large carrot 100 g, peeled and cut in cubes
• 800 ml Low-salt vegetable stock or hot water
• 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 1 small piece ginger grated

Instructions

 

• In a medium-sized pot heat the butter over medium heat, and sauté the vegetables for about 10 minutes or until onions are wilted and vegetables are a bit broken, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Purée with a hand mixer. If the soup is too thick, add some hot water. Season with the salt, pepper, curry and ginger, and cook for about 10-15 minutes to blend the flavours together. Adjust taste if required. If soup is too thick, add little hot water.
• Garnish your bowl with some pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil. Serve hot.

Notes

All images and text © Dina Bayoud Kohl for Dina’s Kitchen