Butternut Pumpkin Soup with spiced creme fraiche

On the cover of the June 2012 delicious magazine cover is one of the best looking pumpkin soups I've ever seen. I like pumpkin soup but loathe making it. There just seems to be a lot of effort for little reward, however, that's not the case with this soup. The recipe is provided to delicious magazine by Araxi's Executive Chef, James Walt, and is full of flavour combinations you would never dream of.


What you need for the creme fraiche mix:
1 Cup / 240g Creme Fraiche

½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

½ teaspoon Allspice

½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

Creme fraiche mixture ingredients

Combine the creme fraiche with the spices, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavours to fully develop  

Spiced creme fraiche

What you need for the curry oil: 
1 Cup / 250ml Grapeseed or Sunflower Oil
½ Apple, peeled and finely chopped

1 Eschalot, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Curry Powder

2 teaspoon Ground Cumin

Curry Oil ingredients

Heat ¼ (60ml) of the oil in a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Add the apple, eschalot, curry powder and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until the apple and eschalot have softened. Turn the heat off and stir in the remaining ¾ cup of oil. 

Apple, Eschalots, oil, spices in saucepan

Set aside. When cooled, blend the mixture until smooth and then strain*.  

What you need for the soup:
100g Unsalted Butter
2 Eschalots, sliced
1.2kg Butternut Pumpkin, peeled and thinly sliced
1L / 4 Cups Vegetable Stock, heated
½ Cup / 40g Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoon Sunflower Oil
½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
20 fresh Curry Leaves
Toasted Pecans, to serve

Soup ingredients

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the eschalots, stirring for 5 minutes or until coloured lightly. Add the pumpkin, season and stir. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. 

Pumpkin

Pour over the hot stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese and nutmeg. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly. 

Simmer ingredients

Blend in batches (or using a stick blender like I did) until smooth. Reheat the soup over a low heat until warmed through. 

Blend

Stir in half the spiced creme fraiche mixture and season. 

Pumpkin soup with oil

Heat oil in  small saucepan over medium heat and fry the curry leaves for 30 seconds or until crisp. Allow to drain on paper towels. Divide soup amongst soup bowls, drizzle the curry oil and creme fraiche mixture over the soup and scatter curry leaves and toasted pecans over the top. Serves 4 - 6. 

Pumpkin Soup with spiced creme fraiche

I think you could easily serve this without the curry oil or spiced creme fraiche mix but if you want to try it, it's well worth the effort.

*Curry oil will keep for 1 week in an airtight container. 

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