Red Kuri Squash & Baby Ginger Soup with Brown Butter Pumpkin Seeds

Taste

Red Kuri — potimarron in French — is the teardrop-shaped orange squash that turns up at the start of autumn, and its flesh is denser, drier, and more chestnut-sweet than butternut, so it blends into a thick, smooth soup without much help. Its skin softens completely in the oven, which means there’s no peeling. Baby ginger is harvested young, before it forms the tough, papery skin of the ginger you know: it’s juicy, pale, and much gentler, so you can use a generous amount for warmth without heat. Brown butter with Styrian pumpkin seeds — the dark green, hull-less kind — and crisp sage gives each bowl something nutty to crunch through.

Instructions

1. Roast the squash. Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F) and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Halve the squash through the stem with a heavy knife, steadying it on a damp cloth, then scoop out the seeds and cut each half into 6 wedges. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt, spread out cut-side down, and roast for 35 minutes, until a knife slides in easily and the edges have caramelised. ⏱︎ 35 min

2. Sweat the leeks. While the squash roasts, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and collapsed but not browned. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, until fragrant. ⏱︎ 10 min

3. Simmer. Roughly chop the roasted squash wedges, skin and all, and add them to the pot with the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes so the flavours come together. ⏱︎ 10 min

4. Blend. Take the pot off the heat and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth. If you’re using a countertop blender, work in batches, fill it no more than halfway, and leave the lid’s centre cap off with a towel over the hole — hot soup expands. Stir in the crème fraîche and lemon juice. If it’s too thick, loosen with a splash of water until it pours off the ladle in a thick ribbon. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Make the brown butter topping. Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat and keep swirling. It will foam, then after about 3 minutes the foam subsides and the solids underneath turn golden brown and smell of toasted nuts. Add the pumpkin seeds and sage straight away — the seeds will puff and crackle and the sage will crisp in about 1 minute. Tip everything into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. ⏱︎ 3 min

6. Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls, add a small spoonful of crème fraîche, and spoon the pumpkin seeds, sage, and brown butter over the top.

Tips

• Make ahead: The soup keeps for 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months — freeze it before adding the crème fraîche and lemon, and stir them in once reheated. Make the topping fresh; the seeds lose their crunch overnight.
• Other squash: Butternut or buttercup both work, but peel them first — their skins stay tough. Delicata skin is thin enough to leave on.
• Regular ginger: If you can’t find baby ginger, use 30 g of mature ginger, peeled — it’s hotter and more fibrous.
• Dairy-free: Use olive oil instead of butter for the topping and a plain oat or coconut cream in place of the crème fraîche.
• Squash seeds: The kuri’s own seeds can stand in for the pumpkin seeds. Rinse off the strings, pat dry, and roast on a tray with a little oil and salt for 15 minutes alongside the squash.