Pumpkin Soup with Whole Wheat Croutons and Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Zucche—an Italian word for pumpkins—are star players in a lot of Italian recipes, specifically in the region of Mantova in Lombardy where the zucca mantovana is grown and has become a symbol of the local cuisine. From soups to risotto, lasagna to tortelli, you’ll find pumpkins appearing throughout fall and winter dishes, not to mention taking over entire towns during highly celebrated festivals called sagre.
In Italian, there is no linguistic difference between pumpkin and squash and as a result you will find them simply referred to as zucche (or zucca for the singular form) followed by the name of the variety, like “zucca spaghetti”, “zucca delica” etc. In English, however, pumpkins are considered a type of squash but not all squash are a type of pumpkin. Confused? In simple terms, it’s like saying a spaghetti is a type of pasta, but not all pasta is spaghetti. For this delicious soup, a sugar pumpkin or a kabocha squash, which has a nuttier taste, are perfect to use.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pot, then gently cook the onions for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the pumpkin and wine to the pot, and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down. Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes or until the squash is very soft. Remove from heat and purée in a blender or use a hand blender. Return the pureed soup back to the stove and heat on low.
While the soup is cooking, cut the bread into cubes and toss in a skillet with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Toast until the bread cubes are crisp and golden. In a separate small skilled, add a swirl of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and toast the sunflower seeds.
Serve the soup topped with the breadcrumbs, sunflower seeds and a swirl of cream or extra virgin olive oil. Buon appetito!
This soup can be frozen or made in advance and reheated.
