This recipe is gluten, dairy, preservative and additive free. Using a jap (Japanese) also called kent pumpkin, best cooked with the skin on.
Preparation + cooking times; 40 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8.
1 kg kent (jap) pumpkin with skin on, deseeded, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
250 g celery, 1 cm thick sliced
250 g leeks with green part,1cm x 2 cm thick sliced
1.25 litre (5 cups) water
3 tbs olive oil or your choice of oil
2 tsp (level) pink himalayan salt or your choice of salt
1⁄4 tsp (level) black or white pepper
pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Method
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and leek cook stirring occasionally for 2 minutes, add pumpkin and turn heat to medium cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
2. Add water bring to boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add salt, simmer, cover for another 5 to 10 minutes. Until the all the vegetables are tender.
3. Spoon the soup into blender or food processor until puree is smooth. Puree soup in batches. Or use the stick blender and blend soup until a smooth puree. Season with pepper and nut meg. Add salt if needed.
4. Spoon soup into serving bowl and garnish with your taste of herbs such as parsley, chive, garden cress, indian cress, chervil or spring onion (green, scallion) or edible flowers.
Hints & Tips;
Jap or kent pumpkin, has grey green skin mottled with yellow and brown colours. Its yellow and orange flesh has sweet and nutty flavours. It is best cooked with the skin on.
Onion maybe used instead of leeks.