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Ingredients
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Soup Base
Garnish & Finish
Method
Soup Base
- 1
Prepare squash
Peel the butternut squash, cut off the ends, halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut into roughly 2–3 cm cubes so they cook evenly (about 1.8 kg prepared yields roughly the quantity listed).
- 2
- 3
Toast spices
Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander and smoked paprika. Cook for 30–45 seconds to bloom the spices, stirring constantly so they don't burn.
- 4
Add squash and stock
Add the cubed butternut squash to the pot and toss to coat with the aromatics and spices. Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock so the squash is just covered (about 1.2 liters). Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
- 5
Simmer until tender
Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook until the squash is very tender and easily pierced with a knife, 18–22 minutes depending on cube size.
- 6
- 7
Finish and season
Stir in the heavy cream (if using) and fresh lemon juice. Rewarm gently over low heat — do not boil — and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper (start with 1.5 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and adjust). If the soup is too thick, add up to 120 ml more stock or water to reach desired consistency.
Garnish & Finish
- 8
Toast pepitas
In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pumpkin seeds, stirring, until they pop and become fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- 9
Serve with pumpkin seed oil
Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Drizzle approximately 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seed oil per bowl (total about 2 tbs for the recipe) in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle toasted pepitas and snipped chives over each bowl. Finish with a small grind of cracked black pepper and an optional extra tiny drizzle of lemon if desired.
