Dr Mobeus
Pumpkin and Sage Soup
Pumpkin soup feels like it should be expensive because it tastes so good, but tinned pumpkin puree is one of the best value ingredients in the supermarket. A single tin makes four generous portions of soup that tastes like it came from a restaurant. The sage is what makes it special – it adds a woody, savoury depth that stops the pumpkin tasting sweet or flat.
At 39p per portion this is one of the cheapest proper soups you can make. Serve it with bread on the side and you have a full meal for under 60p. It also freezes perfectly, so make a double batch and stash half away for busy nights.
Pumpkin and Sage Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and sage leaves (keep 4 leaves whole for garnish). Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree, vegetable stock and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, cut the bread into cubes and fry in a little oil until golden to make croutons.
- Blend the soup with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in the milk and season to taste.
- Serve topped with croutons and the remaining sage leaves, fried crisp in a little oil.
Tips and Variations
If you can’t find tinned pumpkin puree, roast and blend butternut squash instead. The dried sage works fine if fresh is unavailable but fresh sage fried in butter for the garnish takes it to another level. A swirl of cream on top looks great but adds about 10p per portion.
