SOUP WEEK 1: Creamy pumpkin, celery and leek soup with a twist

Another tasty and filling soup to expand your choices and enjoy this hearty dish during the Winter months! The main star is the pumpkin but the rest of the ingredients work together well so to give an extra flavour and make this soup even more luscious! And in the end for some colour contrast but also for a nice subtle sour & sweet flavour to the dish, the addition of a berry jam

Recipe of Tony Kavalieros,

a prominent Head Cook

"Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper (2009)

Ingredients (for 6 people):

600 gr. of pumpkin (net weight), cut in cubes

130 gr. of celery, roughly chopped

130 gr. of leeks, roughly chopped (both white and tender green part)

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

cayenne pepper

4 fresh sage leaves

1.250 ml of chicken or vegetable stock

130ml of single cream

salt
pepper

blackberry or raspberry jam to garnish

Method:
In a spacious pot warm the oil in medium heat and sauté the celery and the leeks - seasoning with the cayenne pepper - for about 5 minutes stirring with a wooden spatula.

Add the pumpkin cubes and the sage and sauté the vegetables, stirring from time to time, until the pumpkin is softened. Pour the stock in the pot and boil for 5 minutes.

Take the pot off the heat and transfer the vegetables along with their stock into a blender (better doing it in batches) and whiz until the vegetables are completely mashed.

Transfer back to the pot, season with salt and pepper, add the cream and gently stir.

Serve the soup immediately spooning on top of each plate 1-2 tbsp with the jam of your choice.