Chilled pumpkin seed soup, courgettes and gooseberries
Pam Brunton’s pumpkin seed ajo blanco celebrates warm summer evenings and ingredients. Pumpkin seeds are roasted and blended into an intensely nutty, creamy and rich soup base with white bread. This is served with barbecued and raw courgettes, mildly acidic and tangy fresh curd cheese, sharp berries and mixed summer herbs. Balancing the richness of the seeds with the punchy piquancy of garlic and sherry vinegar is the key to a standout chilled soup.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 2 courgettes, or 3 if small, 1 finely sliced on a mandoline
- lemon juice, to taste
- olive oil, to drizzle
- 150g of curd cheese, (Pam uses crowdie, goats’ curd or ricotta), broken into pieces
- 15 gooseberries, or 25 whitecurrants, or other sharp berries, cut into halves or quarters
- mixed herbs, ideally aromatic soft summer varieties like tagetes (marigold leaf), fennel, basil and mint, to serve
- edible flowers, such as chive, to serve
AJO BLANCO SOUP
- 475g of pumpkin seeds, (Pam uses seeds from Frinton Farms)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 500g of iced water, made from 250g ice and 250g water
- 100g of white bread, stale, crusts removed and soaked in water for 2 hours
- 50ml of pumpkin seed oil, plus extra to finish
- 25g of pumpkin seed miso, (optional)
- 50ml of sherry vinegar, plus extra as needed
- 10g of fine sea salt, or to taste
Equipment
- Mandoline
Method
For the ajo blanco soup, preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly toast the pumpkin seeds for around 10 minutes – you want them to remain green. Set aside 25g of the seeds to garnish
- 475g of pumpkin seeds, (Pam uses seeds from Frinton Farms)
In a blender, briefly grind the remaining 450g toasted seeds with the garlic until it becomes fine crumbs (stop before it becomes pumpkin seed butter). Scrape down the sides of the blender to loosen the seeds, then add about 50ml of the chilled water and blend again until the seeds form a paste just fluid enough for it to turn in on itself
- 3 garlic cloves
- 500g of iced water, made from 250g ice and 250g water
Squeeze the bread of any excess water and add to the blender. Blend until smooth
- 100g of white bread, stale, crusts removed and soaked in water for 2 hours
Add the oil and miso, if using, and blend, gradually pouring in the remaining iced water with the motor running until you end up with a smooth paste the consistency of double cream. Season with the sherry vinegar and salt, to taste. You’re looking for a nice balance between pumpkin seeds, garlic and vinegar. Chill for at least an hour
- 50ml of pumpkin seed oil, plus extra to finish
- 25g of pumpkin seed miso, (optional)
- 50ml of sherry vinegar, plus extra as needed
- 10g of fine sea salt, or to taste
Light a barbecue or preheat a griddle pan. Barbecue, grill or sauté the whole courgettes until soft, then cut into generous mouthfuls. As the courgettes cool, season them well with salt, lemon or a few drops of vinegar and dress with olive oil. Set aside at room temperature
- 2 courgettes, or 3 if small, 1 finely sliced on a mandoline
- lemon juice, to taste
- olive oil, to drizzle
To serve, arrange the fresh curd cheese, courgettes, berries and most of the herbs in serving bowls and scatter over the reserved pumpkin seeds. Arrange the raw courgette slices on top, to cover, then top with the remaining herbs and flowers
- 150g of curd cheese, (Pam uses crowdie, goats’ curd or ricotta), broken into pieces
- 15 gooseberries, or 25 whitecurrants, or other sharp berries, cut into halves or quarters
- mixed herbs, ideally aromatic soft summer varieties like tagetes (marigold leaf), fennel, basil and mint, to serve
- edible flowers, such as chive, to serve
Check the seasoning of the soup just before serving – the garlic will become more assertive as it sits, and it will taste different when it is fully chilled. Adjust as needed
Stir a little pumpkin seed oil into the soup, and pour into the bowls, at the table
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