Winter Warmers, Slow Cooker Curried Pumpkin Soup

There is something about the beginning of winter isn’t there?

Finally June 1st rolls around, the temperature drops and we all start to shift into full winter mode. I’m talking getting that wood fire burning, donning the fuzzy slippers and pulling out those snugly blankets to cuddle under. But there is one thing that I just could not live without at this time of year and that is pumpkin soup.

There’s something about it isn’t there. Other soups may come and go in popularity but nothing will ever touch the pure, simple enjoyment one can garner from a big bowl of pumpkin soup with a swirl of cream served with a chunk of warm buttery bread.

Yup. I’m drooling already.

I don’t think I could possibly go a winter without several helpings of this fabulous soup and the best part about it is just how damn easy it is to make. Even before Mister L came along I was preparing this soup in the morning and leaving it to slowly cook in the crock-pot all day while I was at work. Admittedly it’s become slightly harder to do so since someone became a ball full of energy and is now constantly on the move, but I make it work…. even it takes me two hours to prep in between The Wiggles and nap time.

Seeing as it’s now chilly, in fact the temperature has plummeted rather quickly (it was a cold 1º the other morning) I decided I just had to whip up a batch of this scrummy recipe and share it all here with you.

So pull out your winter woollies and give this recipe a shot tonight!

Easy Slow Cooker Curried Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:
1.2kg Butternut Pumpkin (though you can certainly use Jap or any other type if need be)
1 Clove Garlic
1 Large Brown Onion
1-2 tsp Curry Powder
3 1/4 Cups Milk
2 1/2 Cups Liquid Chicken Stock
*Optional – Cream for serving

Method:
Peel and core your pumpkin of choice without taking a finger off (something I attempt to do every time!). It really doesn’t have to be butternut either so don’t stress if this is the case. Often I can’t find certain pumpkins at different times of the year so grab whatever you can get. The pumpkin I used this time though was a lovely Jarrahdale x Heirloom variety grown by my fabulous MIL & FIL, they have heaps of them!… seriously though, if you need a pumpkin….haha! The flavour ended up being not quite right so I won’t use that type again for this soup, I mean you really can’t go past a classic butternut pumpkin in this case. hat ever you choose to use, roughly chop it up into chunks and pop them straight into the bowl of a large slow cooker/crock pot.

To the slow cooker add your garlic clove, don’t worry about mincing or chopping it up, you’ll just make your hands smell. Instead squash it with the flat back of your knife, this will help pop it out of it’s skin and crush it a little, pop it straight in like this. To this add your brown onion, roughly diced.

Now you can add your curry powder. For those of you that like a good kick of flavour go ahead and add both teaspoons of it, however if you’re like me and like a slightly milder heat just add one. My recommendation though? Add one teaspoon now to cook and then towards the end you can taste it and see if you’d like more. I always find curry powder to be a little bit deceptive in the heat department.

On top of that you can pour in the chicken stock and milk, fat free milk will work perfectly fine, so whatever you’ve got in the house will work! Now the setting you choose to cook your soup on will depend on how much time you have to spare and what options you have with your brand of cooker. I find they vary quite a bit but you’ll generally have a Low or High setting. Low will take you approx. 8 hours to cook, high about 4. In my case I have an Auto setting which works a little differently, mine will take around 6 hours.

Go ahead and pop the lid on your cooker, set it and walk away! This is what I truly love about slow cookers and just how much easier they make your life, particularly with children. My favourite thing to do is to prep it all the night before and pop the bowl of my crock pot in the fridge over night (though it is certainly cold enough to leave it out at the moment!!) and then when I need to put it on the next morning I just let it warm back up to room temperature and then turn it on. Wolah! No running around needed!

Once your pumpkin has turned rather mushy, so approximately 7 hours into your cook time, you can blitz it. I recommend using a bar mix just to keep things a lot simpler and safer. This way you won’t have to attempt to move your steaming hot liquid into a food processor and get yourself burnt in the process. Blitz until everything comes together smooth and creamy and let sit in the slow cooker for your last hour to allow it to thicken up more. Now is a great time to taste test it too, add in a little extra curry powder if you feel it needs it and don’t forget to season well with salt and pepper.

Now you’re ready to serve! Ladle your gorgeous thick pumpkiny soup into bowls, dollop with a little cream on top and serve with generous slabs of buttery bread or toast. You’ll get a good 6 serves or so out of this size pumpkin and the soup freezes easily so be sure to pop into some containers and freeze for later! I always find it makes for an easy and quick lunch for hubby to take to work.

So there you have it, my classic pumpkin soup with a little curry twist! Why not give it a short this weekend and let me know what you think in the comments!

Serves: 6 or so
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4-5 Hours