Pumpkin Soup
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup with Buttermilk
This Jamaican pumpkin soup blends the flavors of garlic, bay leaf, thyme, jalapeño and more for a taste of the Caribbean. You can add more jalapeño if you like it and substitute evaporated milk for the buttermilk if you want. You can use canned pumpkin in this Jamaican pumpkin soup if fresh pumpkin is out of season. The flavor is very similar.
Jamaican pumpkin soup recipes, like this one, make a change from more classic pumpkin soup recipes. This is not one of our recipes for creamy pumpkin soups. Buttermilk has a sour flavor and, rather than thickening up the soup, it just adds some flavor. If you like thin soups with plenty of herb flavor and vegetable flavor, this Jamaican pumpkin soup might be for you.
When adding all the ingredients to the pot, the broth should cover the other ingredients by at least a couple of inches, so add more if this is not the case.
Spicy Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients -
2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 onion, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup minced, fresh cilantro, for garnish
¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño
Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
Preparation:
Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a big pot over a medium heat.
Add everything else except the cilantro and buttermilk and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender.
Take out the bay leaf, and then puree the soup in a food processor or blender until it is smooth.
Put the pumpkin soup back in the pot and heat it through, stirring in the buttermilk. Divide between serving bowls, then garnish the soup with the cilantro.
(Serves 8)
