There are a variety of recipes for pumpkin soup, some are quite simple
to prepare, some come with a splash of spice, all of them tend to be
perfect for that simple dinner party you have in mind, a great way to
entertain those taste buds for you and you guests. Don't hesitate to try
it on your own too, it's also great to eat even if you're alone playing
free bingo or watching TV.
INGREDIENTS:
2 x 400g (15oz) cans of pure pumpkin (found in any grocery
store, anytime!)
4 cups of water
1 cup half and half
1 garlic clove, pressed (if you don’t have a garlic press,
mincing will work as well.)
¼ cup pure maple syrup
4 tbsp. butter, unsalted
½ tsp. Chinese five spice powder (recipe is attached below)
100g (4oz) fresh shiitake mushrooms, steamed and sliced
GET READY!
In a large saucepan, combine pure pumpkin, water, half and half and
pressed garlic. Bring to a light simmer over Medium to High heat.
Make sure to whisk often, and keep a close eye on the mixture..
Whisk syrup, 2 tbsp of butter, and five spice powder. Simmer for 10
minutes, while continuing to whisk often.
Season with salt and pepper if preferred.
While your mixture continues to simmer, take the remaining 2 tbsp of
butter, and melt in a medium skillet over Medium to High heat.
Add mushrooms, sauté for ten minutes, or until tender.
Sprinkle soup with mushrooms
SERVE!
Make 6 individual servings. It is recommended to serve in separate
bowls before adding the mushrooms.
NOTES:
This soup can be prepared one day in advance if preferred. Cover and
chill, when ready to serve, bring to a simmer before serving.
If you’re having trouble finding the Chinese five spice powder, finding
the ingredients for it at the market should not be a hard job, and
neither should the preparation, here are the simple steps to creating
your own five spice powder!
PREPARING FIVE SPICE POWDER
When thinking about this certain type of Chinese mixture, people tend to
assume that only five spices are used to create this recipe, this is not
entirely true. It is said that the five spice powder represents the five
elements for balance: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Metal. These five
elements are used in order to balance our inner life energy, also known
as our Chi. It is recommended that you use whole spices, instead of already ground
because it tends to hold in the flavor instead of simply drowning it
out.
INGREDIENTS:
1oz STAR ANISE
1oz CINNAMON
1oz SICHUAN PEPPERCORN
1oz CUMIN SEEDS
½ oz CLOVE
¼ oz CORRIANDAR SEEDS
A pinch of Black Cardamom simply for taste, always optional.
Over medium heat, roast each spice separately until odorous. Each spice
may take different amounts of time to roast, so it’s best to use
separate pans. When each spice is cooled down to room temperature, grind
each spice in grinder, again separately, then blend all spices together
in a large bowl. Good to go!
