Pumpkin velouté soup, with apple and curry, the perfect comfort food

To make pumpkin velouté soup with apple and curry, start by removing the internal pumpkin seeds and filaments. Do this with the aid of a spoon. Now peel the pumpkin accurately and dice the flesh.  

Wash the apples, remove the core and peel them. Now dice the apples into pieces the same size as the pumpkin.

Peel the shallot and slice it finely. Gently fry the shallot in a high-sided pan with a little extra virgin olive oil.

When the shallot is soft and translucent, add the thyme, diced pumpkin and apple.  

Now add the curry and cover all the ingredients with hot water or vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return to the heat and cook for 20 minutes until all the ingredients are soft.  Finally, blend the soup, add the cream and serve.

Useful tips and interesting facts

The difference between a cream soup and a velouté lies in the use of cream. In this velouté, cream serves the important purpose of blending the ingredients and flavours  to produce a smooth mouth-filling texture. The addition of thyme to this recipe regales a touch of freshness and aroma to the palate. As for the apples, choose a cooking apple or a variety that is somewhat acidic and floury. With a view to minimizing kitchen waste wherever possible, don’t throw away the pumpkin seeds. Clean them well, by removing all the filaments, and dry them on absorbent paper. Transfer the seeds to an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper and pop in the oven at 160°C for about 40 minutes until they are completely roasted. You will have a crunchy and healthy snack, which is also suitable for garnishing your dishes or the velouté itself. 

Photo of pumpkin seeds on a plate

Variants

You may choose to use a hot spicy curry powder instead of a mild one. To slightly mitigate the sweetness of the apple, you may add one diced potato. Your velouté can be served as a main course, but also in mini portions as a refined and light appetizer.