Delicious pumpkin soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 large Hokkaido pumpkin(s)
• 5 m.-sized potatoes, floury
• 2 apples (Boskoop)
• 2 onions
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 200 g smoked streaky bacon
• 250 ml vegetable stock
• 250 ml apple juice, cloudy
• 250 ml dry white wine
• 1 pepper, optional
• Salt
• 2 tbsp thyme
• 1 tbsp tarragon
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 stalk(s) lemongrass
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 can coconut milk

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

An effort that is worth it

Peel, core, and dice the pumpkin. The skin does not need to be removed from Hokkaido pumpkin. Peel the potatoes and apples and cut into small pieces. Finely chop the onions and peppers. Dice or strip the bacon to taste. Chop the soup vegetables. Sauté the onions, peppers, and bacon in a pan with oil. Add the soup vegetables and fry briefly. Then deglaze with the vegetable stock, apple juice, and white wine. If you chose the vegetarian version, add the smoked cheese now. Add the diced pumpkin, apple, and potato and season with sugar, salt, thyme, tarragon, and cumin. Split the lemongrass stalk lengthwise and add it. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add more apple juice or white wine if desired. Simmer for about 30 minutes at medium heat. Then remove the pan from the heat and remove the lemongrass stalk. Add the coconut milk and puree everything with an immersion blender. Season to taste. If you want to add a finishing touch, you can roast some sunflower seeds and sprinkle them over the soup when serving. Tip: If you don’t want to use alcohol, replace the white wine with the same amount of apple juice. For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and, after deglazing with broth, wine, and juice, add 3-4 slices of smoked cheese.