As a child I did not like pumpkin. I would be willing to place a bet that my parents didn’t really like it either. I can’t remember ever having eaten pumpkin anything. Still, as a child you know what you like and what not. Pumpkin was not for me and was to be avoided at all costs.
The only “Pumpkin” I liked was a big ol’ fat orange cat that my aunts had. That was her name. I liked her although I don’t think she liked me. And no, I didn’t eat her.
Swiss Pumpkins
Fast forward to Switzerland. I’ve made many Thanksgiving meals and they never included pumpkin anything. All was good until someone we invited to Thanksgiving dinner brought a homemade pumpkin pie. As always the whole meal was a feast, so much to eat. By the time we got to dessert no one really had room for much more. There were two desserts I had made plus the one a guest had brought. Certainly more than enough to go around. I was doing the cutting and serving. By the time I got to filling my dessert plate I don’t believe there was any pumpkin pie left. Awwww.
Then one Fall we were invited to some friends for dinner. Our friend did the cooking and it was obvious that he was giving his all for this. I believe he had even appeared on a local cooking show. This was going to be good. After the homemade appetizers came the soup. It was served in what looked like tall shot glasses. The soup was orange and looked suspiciously like pumpkin. There was no way around it, I had to eat it. Glad it was a relatively small glass, I hesitantly took one spoonful. I couldn’t believe it, it was fantastic! Quite honestly I don’t remember the other things he served, which I’m sure were also incredible. I only remember the pumpkin soup that blew me away.
Pumpkin Soup
I must have talked about that soup a lot. Ben brought home a recipe a week or two later from a friend who was a home economics teacher. It is now one of my favorite soups. It tastes great and is easy to make. Here’s the recipe (for 4):
Steam until soft (30 – 40 minutes):
1 onion
1 garlic
500g pumpkin (peeled and cut into cubes)
1 carrot
2 tomatoes
In a mixer add cooked vegetables to:
1dl white wine
4 dl water
1 bouillon cube
Transfer soup to pot and add:
1.5 dl sour cream
1 tsp curry
Salt and pepper to taste
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and chopped fresh parsley
The things that you learn when you are visiting friends and don’t want to be impolite. I like pumpkin! As a soup, anyway.
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