Pumpkin, Saffron & Orange Soup with Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds

Why do I throw out all the pumpkins seeds when I cut up a pumpkin? When we start questioning why we do what we do, the odds are changes may be underway. Who says pumpkin seeds have to be discarded? Well, no more! Here, Ottolenghi shows us how pumpkin seeds can be made into caramelized crunchy bites to sprinkle over the pumpkin, saffron and orange soup. It makes so much sense to me. The lightbulb is going off in my head towards the whole-fruit approach. Going forward, pumpkin seeds will join the likes of lemon peels to become edibles and flavor enhancers. Since the seeds from a pumpkin hardly cost anything, the return on investment is huge; the benefit, and the mindset, of using the whole pumpkin is invaluable.

I should stop writing here since the rest is nowhere as transformative. By the way, the pairing of pumpkin, saffron and orange zest is spot on, although I don’t mind adding some heat to the flavor. The color and the citrus note are appealing, an echo to the autumn foliage.

To make the soup: start by sweating the onion. Next add the seasoning and broth and then the pumpkin and carrot pieces. Simmer until the vegetables are soft. Blitz with an immersion blender. The immersion blender is key to thickening the soup and turning it into the creamy comfort food. Finally, garnish the soup with crème fraîche (I use yogurt instead) with the caramelized pumpkin seeds.

Notes about the pumpkins seeds: It took me twice as long or 30 minutes for the seeds to brown. Some of the shells on the pumpkin seeds are still hard to chew. Furthermore, some are crunchier than others. It might be advantageous to dehydrate the seeds initially before baking them so that the seeds can get evenly crisp. Another idea is to sprout the seeds, let them germinate and transform into young shoots, then bake. Now, we’re heading into a whole new territory.

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Pumpkin, Saffron & Orange Soup with Caramelised Pumpkin Seeds

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 550g pumpkin flesh, cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp saffron fronds
• 1 litre water or vegetable stock
• 2 tsp grated orange zest
• 6 tbsp crème fraîche
• Salt and white pepper
• FOR THE PUMPKIN SEEDS:
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 60g pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp golden (or maple syrup) syrup
• ½ tbsp soft brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 big pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions

1

First prepare the seeds. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line an oven tray with greaseproof paper and brush with sunflower oil. Put the pumpkin seeds in a bowl with all the other ingredients, spread over the tray and bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring a few times, until a nice, golden colour. Leave to cool down.

2

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onion, season and sauté over high heat for a minute, stirring all the time. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft, sweet and golden brown, but not very dark.

3

Add the pumpkin, carrot and saffron, pour in water or stock to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the pumpkin and carrots are almost tender. Add the orange zest and simmer for five minutes longer. When the vegetables are thoroughly cooked, blitz the soup with a hand blender or liquidiser - you want it with a bit of texture, not too smooth. Add extra water or stock if it is too thick. Season to taste.

4

Serve in shallow bowls with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of the caramelised seeds.

Notes

https://ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/pumpkin-saffron-orange-soup-with-caramelised-pumpkin-seeds#