Name: Smoky pumpkin chowder soup with pumpkin seed pesto and sriracha crème
Yield: 6 (as a main)
Ingredients: olive oil, to fry; 1 large (about 250g) onion, peeled and diced; 3 (about 150g) celery stalks, diced; 150g leeks (white part only), sliced; 10ml (2 tsp) smoked Spanish paprika; 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped; 1½L (6 cups) good-quality chicken/vegetable stock; 2 corn on the cobs, kernels removed; 4 dried bay leaves; 700g pumpkin, diced; 30ml (2 tbsp) mixed dried herbs; 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream/full cream milk; 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; SRIRACHA CRÈME; 20ml (4 tsp) sriracha/any hot sauce; 125ml (½ cup) sour cream; PUMPKIN-SEED PESTO; 1 garlic clove, peeled; 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed; 30ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice, fresh; 1,25ml (¼ tsp) salt; 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil; 60ml (¼ cup) dried pumpkin seeds + extra, to garnish; 55g Parmesan

To make this soup vegan, substitute the dairy cream with coconut cream and omit the Worcestershire sauce, as well as the cheese in the pesto.

Recipe and styling by Taryne Jakobi

Photograph by Dylan Swart

Print Recipe

Smoky pumpkin chowder soup with pumpkin seed pesto and sriracha crème

Serves: 6 (as a main)

Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

olive oil, to fry
1 large (about 250g) onion, peeled and diced
3 (about 150g) celery stalks, diced
150g leeks (white part only), sliced
10ml (2 tsp) smoked Spanish paprika
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1½L (6 cups) good-quality chicken/vegetable stock
2 corn on the cobs, kernels removed
4 dried bay leaves
700g pumpkin, diced
30ml (2 tbsp) mixed dried herbs
250ml (1 cup) fresh cream/full cream milk
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
SRIRACHA CRÈME
20ml (4 tsp) sriracha/any hot sauce
125ml (½ cup) sour cream
PUMPKIN-SEED PESTO
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed
30ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice, fresh
1,25ml (¼ tsp) salt
45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
60ml (¼ cup) dried pumpkin seeds + extra, to garnish
55g Parmesan

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and leeks and cook until soft. Stir in the smoked paprika and garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the stock, corn kernels, bay leaves, pumpkin and dried herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the cream or milk, taking particular care not to boil the soup or it will curdle. Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and stir to combine, ensuring the mixture never boils or burns on the bottom. Cook for a further 30 minutes.

For the sriracha crème, stir the sriracha into the sour cream.

For the pesto, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and whizz to a pesto consistency.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with a dollop each of sriracha crème and pumpkin pesto and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.