Pumpkin and Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with a dash of Clementine

This is the perfect flavour-packed soup to brighten up your mood on a rainy or cold winters day.  The fruity and brightly coloured pumpkin combines really well with the earthy taste of the Jerusalem Artichoke, while the hint of clementine juice cuts through it all with it’s pretty acidity.  All the ingredients cook quickly and are easy to purée, so you can have it from pot to steaming bowl in 20 minutes flat. 

To serve 4 you need:

• 1/2 Muscat Pumpkin or a Butternut Squash
• 5-6 Jerusalem Artichokes
• 1 Sweet Onion, chopped
• 1 Clementine, squeezed
• 50ml of cream or a couple of tablespoons of Mascarpone
• some parsley
• a couple of slices of well toasted bread

Peel the pumpkin and cut into chunks.  Cut the knobbly bits off the Jerusalem artichokes, peel and dice.

Put the onion in a pot with some olive oil and fry for a few minutes.  Add the pumpkin and the artichokes and pot roast it for a few minutes, taking care not to burn any of it.  Add 500ml of water and close pot with a lid.

Let it boil for about 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.  Blitz in a food processor until your soup is really silky smooth.  Return to your pan.

Season the soup robustly with salt, pepper and some muscat and add the juice of the clementine.  You can add some more chopped clementine skin if you like more of the citrusy taste.  Then add the cream or mascarpone and adjust the thickness if need be with a bit more water, it shouldn’t be too thick or gloopy.

Cut the roasted bread into chunks and swig it in a bowl with some olive oil.  Chop the parsley and add everything to the soup once it’s been put into a serving bowl or individual bowls, that way the bread remains crunchy and will be much more enjoyable.

Lovely as a starter or as part of a country lunch and a chilled glass of Rosé will go beautifully with those simple yet amazing flavours.

Un très bon appétit!