Pumpkin Cream Soup with Saffron & Melting Chestnuts
This delicate and creamy soup is a real childhood memory! Typical of my region, la Drôme, I used to eat it with delight at my grandmother’s house. The pumpkin gives it a light sweet taste, just like chestnuts, and three flavors warm it up, giving it fullness: nutmeg, star anise, and cinnamon.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 500 g pumpkin
- 1 onion
- 1 dash olive oil
- 20 g semi-salted butter
- 20 cl vegetable stock
- 15 cl liquid cream
- 1 pinch saffron powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 150 g soft bread
- 30 g semi-salted butter
- 50 g pumpkin seeds
- 1 pinch salt
- 100 g cooked chestnuts
Method · 45 min
- Peel and cut the pumpkin into small pieces.
- Peel and cut the onion into thin slices.
- Heat the oil and butter in a casserole over a low heat, then add the onion, pumpkin and a pinch of salt.
- Leave to cook for 5 minutes, stirring gently. Add the vegetable stock, cream and saffron.
- Leave to cook over a low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Then mix finely. Taste and add a little salt if necessary.
- Keep warm, being careful not to allow it to boil!
- Preheat the oven to 150 °C/ 302 ℉.
- Bake the pumpkin seeds spread out on a baking tray for 10 minutes.
- Salt them and set them aside to cool.
- Cut the bread into small 0.5 cm/ ¼ inch cubes and brown them in a frying pan with a little butter for a few minutes.
- Then place the croutons on absorbent paper.
- Divide the chestnuts among the verrines and then pour in the hot pumpkin cream.
- Place the small croutons and pumpkin seeds on top, followed by a dash of olive oil.
- Serve immediately.
- You can make a success of this recipe with all the varieties of squash: the long squash of Nice, the musk of Provence (my favourite!), but the pumpkin remains very interesting for its chestnut taste.
