Pumpkin soup with ham cubes

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g pumpkin flesh, diced
• 250 g potatoes, floury, diced
• 1 piece(s) ginger, diced (amount to taste)
• 1 small red chili pepper(s), cut into rings (without seeds)
• 1 m.-sized carrot(s), diced
• 1 small onion(s), diced
• 40 g butter
• 750 ml vegetable stock
• 200 ml cream or coconut milk
• 1 lemon(s) (untreated)
• 125 g ham, diced ham
• some pepper, black
• some pumpkin seed oil (optional)
• some chervil or flat parsley

Instructions

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

The ingredients don’t need to be chopped too finely, as the soup will be pureed at the end anyway. Sauté the onion in the butter. Then briefly sauté the pumpkin flesh, potatoes, ginger, carrot, and chili pepper, then pour in the vegetable stock. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of the pumpkin and potato cubes). Blend the soup with a hand blender. Add cream or coconut milk and keep warm. Gently fry the bacon cubes in a pan, discarding any fat. Add the crispy bacon cubes to the soup, and season to taste with grated lemon zest, lemon juice, and pepper. If you like, you can also add a few drops of pumpkin seed oil, chervil, or parsley to the bowl.