There’s pumpkin soup, and then there’s roast pumpkin soup, which in my opinion tastes better. And hand-mashed roast pumpkin soup gives it a rustic edge.

There are some naming differences around the world, when it comes to pumpkin. Some call pumpkin (pic above) winter squash (pic above). Some call butternut (pic below), squash, not pumpkin. Some just call the Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin (pic below), pumpkin.

Look, just use the orange vegetable you’re most happy using!

And why hand-mash your hand-mashed roast pumpkin soup? It’s a thicker, chunkier soup. Also, ease; there’s less washing up!

“Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He’s gotta pick this one. He’s got to. I don’t see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there’s not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.”
–Linus, aka Charles M. Schulz, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

I have a reference to pumpkin in my original poem My Mother’s Garden.

Ingredients

Roasted Vegetables

1.5 kg pumpkin (Kent, butternut, winter squash, pumpkin) 3.3 lbs I like the taste of Kent/winter squash. You can also do a mix.
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled (can do more if you like garlic)
1-2 tsp cumin (can do more, up to you how much you like it, but this definitely takes the pumpkin to another level)
olive oil, salt, pepper

Soup Base

1 onion, chopped Option: Can do leek instead
40 g butter
2-3 potatoes, diced (depending on size)
1.5 litre chicken stock
salt, pepper, herbs
cream or sour cream to serve (optional)
dried chilli flakes (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 210℃/410℉.
Chop pumpkin into cubes. Put pumpkin and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet on a baking tray. Drizzle liberally with olive oil. Season pumpkin with cumin, salt and pepper.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until pumpkin is soft. The roasted garlic should not be too browned (it shouldn't smell burned) and be able to be squeezed out of its peel.
Meantime, in a large saucepan, fry onion in butter until translucent.
Add potatoes and fry for a further few minutes. (If you want a hint of chilli, add this at the end of the potato fry before adding stock. Amount is up to you.)
Add chicken stock and bring to boil.
Add chopped potatoes. When comes to boil again, reduce heat and cook potatoes for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are very tender and able to be mashed with a fork.
Add in roasted pumpkin. Squeeze garlic out of peel into the soup.
Take soup off heat. With a hand-masher, mash the ingredients together until they reach a texture you like. Return to stove on low heat and continue to mash as it will liquify a little further.

Once take off heat, you can use hand blender for a creamier soup.

Season again with salt and pepper to your taste.
Serve as is, or with a dollop of cream or sour cream. Add chives, parsley or thyme. If you're sorry you didn't add chilli earlier, throw in some slices of fresh chilli now. Serve with crusty bread or even over cooked rice.

Hello!

Hand-Mashed Roast Pumpkin Soup