pumpkin, butternut and sweet potato soup

This is a lovely warm, thick, golden soup for a cold winter's day.  Here are two versions of this soup, one where the pumpkin, butternut and sweet potato are roasted, and one where they aren't.  I've been making the un-roasted version for a long time, and learnt the roasted version from Penny, who served it in little paper cups as part of the canapés at an autumn themed wedding.   The roasted version has a smokier taste to it and I add more curry powder to make it a bit spicer.  You can change the proportions of the butternut, pumpkin and sweet potato, or make it just with butternut or just with sweet potato, but I like the combination of all three of them best.

Ingredients

I large butternut squash, chopped

a similar amount of pumpkin, chopped

1-2 large sweet potatoes, chopped

1 potato, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 thumb size piece of ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp curry powder

6 cups+  chicken stock

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

to serve

sour cream

freshly grated parmesan

chopped chives

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan and cook the onions gently until soft.  Add the ginger and the curry powder and cook for about a minute.   Add the potato, butternut, pumpkin and sweet potato and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the vegetables), and garlic, and simmer, covered, until all the vegetables are soft (about 15-20 minutes).  Let it cool a little and then put it in a liquidiser or use a stick blender to blend it until it’s just smooth. (Add a little more chicken stock if necessary).  Don’t over blend the soup or it will go gluey.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a spoonful of sour cream, freshly grated parmesan and chopped chives and some crusty bread (Jo’s beer bread is particularly nice with this!).

Penny’s roasted version 

Use the same ingredients but toss the butternut, sweet potato and pumpkin in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on a flat tray in the oven at about 200 C until the vegetables are soft.  Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan and cook the onions gently until soft.  Add the ginger and 1 tablespoon of curry powder and cook for about a minute.   Add the potato and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes.  Add the roasted vegetables, garlic and the chicken stock (enough to cover the vegetables), and simmer, covered, until all the vegetables are soft (about 15-20 minutes).  Let it cool a little and then put it in a liquidiser or use a stick blender to blend it until it’s just smooth. (Add a little more chicken stock if necessary).  Don’t over blend the soup or it will go gluey.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top with sour cream.