This time of year there are so many pumpkins and squash available. Pumpkins we often use for lanterns aren’t often the tastiest.  There is one variety commonly found in France called Potimarron.   Here in the markets this time of year there are plenty winter squashes and pumpkins to buy but this little fella is really quite lovely.

Potimarron is a mixture of the word potiron (pumpkin) and marron (chestnut).  It is silky in texture when made into a soup and really tasty.  I made this soup with a potimarron and some mixed leftover roast veg, it was delicious.  A bit of crumbled Stilton or blue cheese to finish it off.  So good.  Perfect on blowy, autumn day with some crusty bread.  Comfort food at its best.

It was so simple.  In a large soup pot, I softened a leek and two sticks of celery in a little oil.  I peeled and chopped the potimarron which is so much easier to prepare than a butternut squash or regular large pumpkin.  Easier to cut and peel by a long way.  This was thrown in the pot along with the contents of a takeaway plastic container (I never throw them away) of leftover roast veg.  It was a mixture of potato, sweet potato, parsnip and courgette.  I covered the contents of the pot with stock and let it simmer for half an hour or so.  I blended it with a handheld blender until it was silky smooth.  Served steaming hot with crumbled blue cheese.  Delicious.

Of course, you compliment the potimarron with whatever veg you have or keep it simple and just use two potimarron, a little nutmeg would go well.  If you can’t find potimarron then butternut squash or other pumkin would be just fine.  You could throw in some beans or lentils.  This is very much a make it up as  you go along soup.  That is what this time of year is all about and a great way to add veg into your day.

A good bowl of soup is like a warm hug.  I do like soup and so do my family although in the winter there are days when I get “Soup?  Again?” just before they clean their bowls.