Buttercup & Ginger Soup

I adore winter soups and I get goosebumps when I get to make it home-made from home-grown vegetables. My little collection of pumpkins have been sitting silently in my stash box ready for the opportune moment to shine.

Call them pumpkin, squash or some magical thing in between, these little green wonders the size of a large grapefruit, I do believe are called  ‘buttercups’ (aka gem squash) – tiny pumpkins with green, soft skins. Once the seeds are scooped out they are a perfect single serve!

My Sunday morning went something like this. The tree in the driveway was blocking most of the winter sun from a bedroom window so we thought we’d give it a trim.  Ponderous thoughts and numerous strides up the driveway were followed by scrutiny, loppers, plentiful cups of tea, a yarn over the fence with the neighbour, warm-from-the-oven rockcakes and huge amounts of debris to warrant a small organic skip – all to the merry dance of thunderous showers,  rope wrangling and ladder re-positioning.

When the sawdust had settled and the winter sun poured through, it was time for soup, blissful winter soup.

My darling buttercup(s) that had grown on their own free will, picked to perfection then stored for months, finally had their moment in the sun. Well, the oven. I split them in two, scooped out the seeds, doused them in olive oil and honoured them with a fresh horopito leaf (which I had just potted last week). 30 minutes later they were roasted and smelling amazing.

Roasted vegetables are always my favourite for soup. The process brings out the sweetness you don’t get to enjoy with a hurried boil in a pot. At a time like this, where hungry stomachs awaited warm winter fodder, half an hour in the oven was worth every minute.

Below I share my recipe, which is ridiculously simple but oh-so-tasty.

Buttercup & Ginger Soup

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 small *buttercups, seeds scooped out but skins on
• rock salt
• olive oil
• horopito leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• freshly ground pepper
• sour cream (to serve, optional)
• turmeric & Parmesan croutons

Method

1. Firstly preheat the oven to 200ºC fan bake. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
2. Half the buttercups, scoop out the seeds (leaving the skin on the outside).
3. Sprinkle rock salt into the halves or quarters (if they are on the larger size) drizzle with olive oil and place a fresh horopito leaf in each centre.
4. Roast for approx 25 minutes, or until it smells delicious.
5. Remove from oven, allow to cool enough to handle, peel or cut off loose skin.
6. Saute the flesh with minced garlic and ginger, then add vegetable stock to thin.  Beat the pumpkin until smooth (or mash, or transfer into a heat-proof bowl and blitz to the texture of your liking).
7. Add back into the pot, season to taste (may not need salt as there’s plenty in the stock and in the roasting process – up to you)…and warm until ready to serve.
8. Serve with generous dollops of sour cream and Turmeric & Parmesan croutons.

*No need to get technical: this can work well with 1/2 a small pumpkin or squash too.

Turmeric & Parmesan Croutons

They are so dreamy! Dice stale bread into even 1cm pieces, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with turmeric powder and finely grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes on 180ºC fan bake, watching so it doesn’t burn. Don’t be skimpy on the seasoning!

Enjoy!