Aegean Fennel & Sage Pumpkin Soup
When the light turns golden and slower, and the kitchen becomes the warmest room in the house you know this is the season for softening. For letting the body slow down and the senses lead. In food, the colder months bring root vegetables, deep spice and the kind of dishes that ask us to sit a little longer at the table. My favourite of them all is pumpkin. Earthy, sweet, endlessly comforting, and made whole here with fennel and sage, two herbs that have grown along the Aegean coast for as long as anyone can remember. Try this soup on a quiet evening, the kind where you want nothing more than a warm bowl and good company.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 onion
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, black pepper, ginger and nutmeg, to taste
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp ground sage
- Raw pumpkin seeds, to serve
- A swirl of cream, to serve
Preparation
- Peel and roughly chop the butternut squash, onion and garlic.
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat, then add the onion and garlic, cooking gently until soft and fragrant, add the herbs to get the flavours out.
- Add the chopped squash to the pot, along with the fennel seeds, ground sage, a pinch of ginger and nutmeg, and season with salt and black pepper.
- Cover the vegetables with water, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is completely soft, around 25 to 30 minutes.
- Once everything is tender, remove from the heat and blend until smooth and silky. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and finish with a scattering of raw pumpkin seeds and a swirl of cream.
Afiyet olsun.
