Zuppa di Zucca
The following recipe is from ,The River Cafe Cook Book’ by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.
Ingredients
Serves 6
Pumpkin | 1.5 kg | seeded and diced into 5cm cubes |
Potatoes | 150 g | peeled and diced |
Red onions (small) | 2 | finely chopped |
Garlic | 2 cloves | cut into slivers |
Chicken stock | 1 litre | |
Fresh Majoram | 4 large sprigs | |
Dried chilis | 1-2 | optional |
Olive oil | 3 tbsp | |
Butter | 50 g | |
Parmesan to serve |
Notes
- This is a very thick soup.
- Vegetable broth instead of chicken broth works as well.
- The original recipe recommends serving with Crostini (Ciabatt bread + garlic + olive oil)
- Variation according to original recipe (which I haven’t tried yet): add 150g cooked canelli beans when you add the pumpkin. Reserve some whole ones to add to the final puree.
Preparation
- Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy saucepan and gently fry the onion until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, majoram leaves, pumpkin and potatoe.
- Season with chili (optional), salt and pepper.
- Add enough stock to just covver the pumpkin.
- Simmer until until the pumpkin is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Option 1 (simpler and preferred):
- Mix entire soup using a hand blender.
- Option 2 (original recipe):
- Strain about a third of the stock from the pumpkin and set aside
- Mix remainder in a food processor (very thick!)
- Return to saucepan and add back the stock you removed.
- Serve with Parmesan and Crostini