A seasonal German recipe with a modern twist
Being a chef and food writer means I take hold of the kitchen at home on a 24/7 basis, making it nearly impossible for my husband Fabian to get in and cook a meal himself. On the rare occasion that it does happen, I am always in awe at his natural talent for cooking and the wonderful fusion creations he comes up with. Hence the reason this recipe is titled ‘Fabian’s Fusion Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup’, is because it was created by him.
A culture based heavily on nature
Coming from a small town in the South of Germany, his experience of food has for the most part been based on seasonal ingredients. Asparagus is a big one from April – June, as are strawberries, with systematic recipes popping up everywhere until they are no longer available to purchase. In October every year, the Hokkaido pumpkin becomes readily available in every supermarket or market stall. Fabian’s town is the kind of place where a variety of pumpkin types sit in a wagon along the side of a road, ready to buy with an ‘honesty’ system in place, meaning you simply choose your pumpkin, leave the money in a box for the farmer and head home with it.
Something old and something new
The south of Germany is a very family-orientated and traditional area and it can be hard to find exciting non-German dishes with international or fusion elements including spices. This is why I love Fabian’s soup recipe so much. During the pumpkin season, making soup is one of the most traditional ways to use the vegetable (the German name is Kürbissuppe). Naturally, his recipe came from his grandmother who made it for him always at this time of year. But after being on the receiving end of my daily dishes including spices, fresh herbs and a mix of international ingredients, he’s played around with the recipe and given it a little pimp.
The idea behind Fabian’s flavour combination
There’s an influence of Indian cooking at play, based on the many curries we make at home. Cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, chilli, coconut milk and fresh coriander create the creamy and lightly spiced base. The use of streaky bacon as garnish is derived from his love of ‘Speck’, a smoked cured pork which is a kind of German bacon. A dollop of Greek yoghurt is a replacement for ‘Schmand’, a unique thick-soured cream only available in Germany, and in my opinion, more creamy and luxurious than most sour cream brands. Buttered croutons are there simply because they should be.
Why this soup is good
I don’t think I would have come up with this combination of flavours myself, which is why I love this recipe – because it’s uniquely his. But obviously, the most important part is that it actually works – with all the flavours melding together harmoniously to make a delicious-tasting bowl of food. It’s fresh, it’s rich, it’s creamy, it’s got a touch of spice and it’s got crispy bacon on top. What more could you want in a soup?
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Fabian’s Fusion Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup
Delicious warming spiced pumpkin and carrot soup with an exciting garnish of buttered croutons, crispy bacon, greek yoghurt and fresh coriander
Ingredients
- 1 Hokkaido pumpkin (*see recipe notes)
- 2 medium carrots, chopped into 2cm x 2cm cubes
- 2 onions, chopped fine
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp butter
- 25g ginger, minced
- 1 red chili, chopped fine
- 100ml white wine
- 800ml homemade chicken stock (or a high-quality shop-bought version)
- 200ml coconut milk
- 200ml orange juice
- 65g raw sugar
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
Garnish
- 8 pieces of streaky bacon
- 8 slices white crusty bread
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 heaped tbsp of thick Greek yoghurt
- Handful of fresh coriander
Instructions
- Cut Hokkaido pumpkin in half, remove seeds and stringy flesh. Leaving the skin on, cut into 2cm x 2cm chunks. You will need 900g of pumpkin for the soup. Weigh this amount out and save any leftover pumpkin for another recipe.
- Using a large pot, fry the onions and ginger over medium heat until soft. Add pumpkin and carrot along with a good pinch of salt and continue to cook for a few minutes, adding another splash of oil if needed.
- Deglaze the pot with white wine, then pour in the chicken stock, orange juice, and 1 tsp of sugar. Cover with a lid and turn the heat down to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the garnish: Remove crusts from bread and chop each piece into cubes for croutons.
- Heat a large frying pan with a splash of oil and fry bacon slices until crispy. Remove and set aside for later. Using the same pan add one tablespoon of butter to the bacon fat. When melted throw in croutons and toss around the pan until fully coated in the fat and butter. Cook until crispy brown. Remove from the pan and set aside for later.
- To finish the soup: In a small saucepan, melt one tablespoon of butter. Once melted remove from the heat and stir through ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and chopped chilli. Add the coconut milk and spiced butter to the soup, stir, replace the lid and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove soup pot from the heat. Allow it to cool with the lid off for 5 minutes, then using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide soup between bowls, garnish with croutons, bacon, a spoon of Greek yoghurt and fresh coriander leaves.
Notes
This recipe requires 900g of chopped pumpkin. This is the total amount required once the seeds and inside stringy flesh have been removed. A medium-sized pumpkin will be perfectly fine, but you may need 2 if they are very small. In any case, you might end up with leftover pumpkin. This can be kept in the fridge and used the next day for toasting, mash, purees, cookies, cakes etc.
