Roasted pumpkin soup with burnt butter, sage and hazelnut crumb

Roasted Pumpkin, Burnt Butter & Sage Soup with Hazelnut Crumb

Name: Roasted Pumpkin, Burnt Butter & Sage Soup with Hazelnut Crumb
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 800g Kent pumpkin, peeled and cut into approximately 2cm cubes; 1 medium brown onion, roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves (skin on); 2 tbsp olive oil; 600–700ml good-quality vegetable stock, warmed; 150ml thickened cream; Salt; Freshly cracked black pepper; Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional); 60g unsalted butter; 10–12 fresh sage leaves; 60g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped; ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs; 1 tbsp butter; Pinch of sea salt

COOK TIME: 1 hr

SERVES: 4

Salty

Roasted Kent pumpkin blended into a silky soup, finished with nutty burnt butter, crispy sage and a toasted hazelnut crumb.

Ingredients List

Soup

800g Kent pumpkin, peeled and cut into approximately 2cm cubes
1 medium brown onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves (skin on)
2 tbsp olive oil
600–700ml good-quality vegetable stock, warmed
150ml thickened cream
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Burnt butter & crispy sage

60g unsalted butter
10–12 fresh sage leaves

Hazelnut crumb

60g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tbsp butter
Pinch of sea salt

Method

Roast the vegetables

Preheat the oven to 220°C conventional (200°C fan-forced). Line a roasting tray with baking paper.
Place the pumpkin, onion and whole garlic cloves onto the tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Roast for 30–35 minutes, turning halfway through, until the pumpkin is golden around the edges and a knife slides easily into the centre of the largest pieces.

Prepare the burnt butter

While the pumpkin roasts, melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter foams.
Add the sage leaves and cook for 15–20 seconds, until crisp. Remove the sage immediately and reserve both the sage and the burnt butter.

Make the hazelnut crumb

Using the same frying pan, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the panko breadcrumbs and cook until lightly golden.
Stir through the chopped hazelnuts and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for another minute until fragrant and crisp, then set aside.

Build the soup

Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins and mince into a bowl. Add the roasted pumpkin and onion.
Pour in 600ml of the warm vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
Blend with a stick blender until completely smooth. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, gradually add more stock until it reaches a silky consistency.

Finish

Reduce the heat to low and stir through the thickened cream.
Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. If desired, grate in a very small amount of fresh nutmeg. Do not allow the soup to boil once the cream has been added.

Plating

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls.
Finish with a drizzle of burnt butter, crispy sage leaves, a generous sprinkle of hazelnut crumb and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

Chef’s tip: browned butter can burn very quickly. As soon as it reaches a deep golden colour, remove it from the heat.

Pumpkin: Kent (Jap) pumpkin is preferred for its naturally sweet, deep orange flesh that becomes beautifully creamy once roasted. Butternut (slightly sweeter and milder) or Queensland Blue (firmer and more earthy) also work. Avoid spaghetti or decorative pumpkins.

Stock and cream: a good-quality vegetable stock keeps the pumpkin as the hero, but chicken stock gives a richer, more savoury soup. For a lighter soup, swap the thickened cream for pouring cream or leave it out for a dairy-free version.

Hazelnuts and sage: if hazelnuts are unavailable, macadamias, almonds or pepitas make excellent substitutes. Fresh sage is highly recommended as it becomes beautifully crisp when fried in butter.