Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Meatballs
We are not such big fans of creamy soup, I cook from time to time, but it's not our family favourite. But this version, with meatballs, is absolutely brilliant - the meatballs make the soup feel whole and match the creamy consistency. They bring an extra texture and fillingness which a creamy soup doesn't have enough. And, by the way, it's low carb. I liked it because it's so tasty, interesting and very suited to my favourite diet.
Besides, when they tasted it, the kids told me it was the best soup they'd ever eaten. They didn't realise it had pumpkin in it, but they liked the colour and the taste. If you don't have pumpkin at hand, you can replace it with potatoes or sweet potatoes, it will still be beautiful (whiter) and incredibly good.
Prepare, clean and wash the veggies.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat well the butter and the olive oil, add 1 diced onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then add in the chopped garlic, mix and cook for 2 more minutes.
Now add the pumpkin and the courgette, both medium diced.
Stir and cook all together for 10 minutes.
After that, pour in 2.5 - 3 litres of cold water, enough to completely cover the vegetables.
You can adjust the quantity of water, whether you want a denser or a thinner soup.
When it comes to the boil, turn heat down, cover with a lid and simmer for 45-50 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs:
- grind the meat with a meat grinder;
- add to it 1 finely chopped onion, 1 egg, a bit of chopped parsley and 1 tsp salt;
- mix well;
- shape small meatballs and arrange them on a plate or platter, dip your hands in a little water when shaping, so that they don't stick to each other.
I suggest toasting the pumpkin seeds in the oven, they will bring an extra flavour to the soup.
Just mix them with a bit of olive oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder and place in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, the veggies have cooked. Puree the veggies into the same pot using the hand blender, until you get a creamy and smooth soup.
Dip the meatballs we prepared before in this soup, return the pot to the heat and bring to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes.
At the end, add 200ml cooking cream to the soup, some chopped parsley, salt to taste and a bit of ground black pepper.
Stir and cook for 5 more minutes, then turn heat off.
Let the soup rest and the flavours blend for 15 minutes, then serve as you like it, with toasted pumpkin seeds on top, with croutons, bread etc.
It's delicious, creamy and so beautiful!
Enjoy!
