Whole baked pumpkin soup with Gruyère and fried sage
Preparation Time
15 mins
Cooking Time
1 hour
Halloween is on the horizon and pumpkins are in abundance, so make the most of the glut with this delicious, easy pumpkin soup.
'I find the idea of baking a whole pumpkin filled with cream and garlic wonderfully inviting and warming,' says the author of this recipe Sally Clark. 'Add roasted wild mushrooms, sweetcorn or chopped walnuts to make it into a more filling meal.'
Wine Notes By Anne Tupker, Master of Wine: Jim Clendenen's Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2015 combines just the right mix of elegance and opulence to complement the pumpkin soup. The wine's pear, citrus and roasted nut character echoes the soup's rich, creamy texture and its sweet squash, salty cheese and punchy sage flavours (£28.25, philglas-swiggot.com).
Ingredients
4-6
For the stuffed pumpkin
For the crisp sage
To serve
Method
Step 1
Wash the pumpkin and, with a sharp, sturdy knife cut off the top third (ideally keeping the stalk attached to the lid). With a strong spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard. Continue to scoop out some of the flesh so about one third has been removed. Chop this roughly and place in a pan with the cream, stock, chopped sage and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and bring gently to the boil.
Step 2
Heat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160ºC/mark 4. Fold two 30cm strips of aluminium foil in half lengthways. Place them in a cross in a deep roasting pan that will hold the pumpkin snugly. Place the pumpkin in the centre of the cross. Carefully pour the hot cream mixture into the pumpkin and put the lid on top. Draw the foil up and secure the pumpkin and lid by folding the ends together. Put in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until tender (different varieties of pumpkin will need different times). Test with a skewer in the flesh under the lid (not the side). When it feels tender, remove from the oven, take the lid off carefully, sprinkle in the Gruyère cheese and a little extra cream if needed - it should be half full. Return to the oven with the lid to one side and continue to bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt and becomes stringy.
Step 3
In a small frying pan, fry the sage leaves in the olive oil until they sizzle and become crisp - this takes seconds. Remove and drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.
Step 4
Use the foil to lift the pumpkin carefully out of the roasting pan, place it into a warm serving bowl, slide away the foil and serve by scooping the sides of the pumpkin 'bowl' and lid together with the cream filling onto individual plates or bowls. Scatter with the grated Parmesan and sage leaves, and serve with a salad and warm bread.
