Today morning, it was raining a little bit and it was gloomy. Sometimes I like rainy days and sometimes I would feel like "where is the Sun". Past couple of days were hot and humid and so today was ok. I was contemplating on what to cook but decided to have a steaming bowl of soup and enjoy the day. The small pumpkin sitting on the counter gave me an idea to make a spicy pumpkin soup. I immediately picked it along with potatoes, onion and green chili and started working on my soup. I thought of adding ginger but later decided not to. The creamy soup was very great topped with croutons and I loved it so much and was a super hit. The potatoes gave extra creaminess along with the pumpkin. Usually, cream is added in pumpkin soups but this one doesn't. To describe the soup in simple wards, "awesome"!
Ingredients:
Potato - 1 (skin peeled and chopped)
Pumpkin - 1 cup (peeled and chopped)
green chilli - 1, chopped
onion - 1/4 cup, chopped
Ghee or butter - 1 tsp
salt to taste
pepper - to taste
water or broth - 3 cups
Cilantro or croutons for garnishing
Method:
Heat a pan with 1 tsp ghee or butter, saute the onions and green chilli
Transfer this to a small bowl, add the chopped potato, pumpkin and 3/4 cup water. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
Cool and blend to a puree. Transfer this to the pan, add 21/4 cups water, salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes and a wonderful, easy, tasty and spicy soup is all ready to be ladled into bowls.
Garnish with cilantro and some croutons. I made my own garlic cilantro croutons and it paired well with the soup (recipe follows Notes). Enjoy!
Notes: The soup was spicy and very good. It depends on the green chilli, the hotness of which you cannot say ahead. May be if you want a little less spicy, go easy on the green chilli. Adding a carrot also gives a special taste to this soup. Next time I am going to try pumpkin carrot soup.
Garlic Cilantro Croutons
Ghee or butter - 2 tsp
Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped fine
Bread - 2 slices, cubed
a little salt and pepper to taste
Heat ghee in a pan, fry the garlic powder and cilantro for a minute. Then add the cubed bread, mix and toast it till crispy. This can be done in oven too (because of power cur, I did it in the stove)
Delicious croutons are ready to be topped in soups.
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