Pumpkin Soup with Chorizo Migas

A simple comforting soup with a vivacious topping! There are so many varieties of pumpkin available but you can’t go wrong with the good old butternut variety. Here the silky sweetness of the soup interplays nicely with the salty crunchy chorizo Migas, a Spanish and Portuguese condiment of torn day old bread soaked with garlic and paprika, then fried with bacon or chorizo, sometimes even anchovies. It’s an exciting addition sprinkled onto many foods and is great for breakfast with eggs.

Ingredients and Methods

Preparation

Cooking

Serves

Paul’s Tip – If finger lime is unavailable, substitute 1 extra lime, zest and juice.

Ingredients

75 ml Vegetable oil
2 White onions, finely chopped
10 Garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 kg Butternut pumpkin, diced
250 g Diced potatoes
100 g Achiote paste
4 oranges, Zest & Juice
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 lt Chicken or vegetable stock, heated
1 Large handful oregano or sage leaves

Chorizo migas

100 ml Olive oil
250 g Chorizo, coarsely minced
200 g Day old country style bread, coarsely torn
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large handful oregano or sage leaves, roughly chopped
Sea salt To taste

To Garnish – Jalapeños & lime crema – makes 400 ml

250 ml Sour cream
100 g Salted ricotta, finely grated
2 Green jalapeños, deseeded & roughly chopped
3 Limes – Finely grated zest & juice
1 Garlic clove, finely grated
1 Pinch of cumin powder
1 Large handful oregano leaves, finely chopped
50 g Native finger lime flesh
Sea salt To Taste

Instructions

To prepare the soup, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook the onion and garlic, until softened. Add the pumpkin and potato and cook for 5–10 minutes, until soft and caramelised.

Add the Achiote paste, orange zest and juice, salt and sugar and cook until the orange juice has reduced to syrup. Add the stock and oregano or sage and bring to the boil. Decrease the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft.

Transfer the soup into a blender or liquidiser and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and return to the pan. Adjust seasoning and keep warm.

To prepare the chorizo migas, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the chorizo until golden brown. Transfer the chorizo into a bowl, retaining the oil in the pan. Add the bread to the pan and cook until crisp and golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Return the chorizo to the pan, add the herbs and fry together for 1 minute. Drain the excess oil from the pan. Season with salt and drain on paper towel.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, top with some crema, sprinkle with chorizo migas and oregano leaves

Jalapeño & finger lime crema – Method

Combine the sour cream, salted ricotta, jalapeños, lime zest and juice, garlic and cumin and blend to make a smooth cream.

Transfer into a bowl. Stir in the oreganos and native lime flesh, season with salt. Refrigerate until required.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week

Chef Paul Wilson

Credited with serving some of Australia’s most exciting food, Paul Wilson has been described as one of the most extraordinary culinary talents in the Commonwealth & continues to receive critical acclaim for crafting inspiring dishes that take an innovative approach to cuisine traditions. (more)

here to view all of Chef Paul Wilson’s recipes.

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