The best pumpkin soup ever!

BUTTERNUT PUMPKIN SOUP (adapted from Charmain Solomon's)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon butter/marg/cooking spray
• 6 spring onions (pref) or 2 brown onions, finely chopped
• 1 kg butternut pumpkin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups full-fat or half-fat milk
• finely ground pepper
• 1/2 cup cream (if desired)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• croûtons, to serve (if desired)

DIRECTIONS

Melt the butter and fry spring onions over low heat until soft and golden. Peel and cut pumpkin into pieces. Add to pan with spices, cover and cook on very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add stock and cook until pumpkin is tender.
Cool until lukewarm (or don't if you're brave enough to handle hot splashes), then puree in an electric blender or push through a fine sieve. Return to pan, add milk and season with salt and white pepper
Heat until almost boiling. Put a spoonful of cream (whipped if you like) on top of each serving of soup. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with small croûtons.

SERVES: 6 (as an entree)