Squash Velouté with hazelnut crumble topping
What says Autumn more than a smooth pumpkin or butternut squash soup? Made special here with a hazelnut crumble, Stilton crumbs and accompany with your favourite rustic bread. Get out a bottle of George 7 and warm the cockles of your heart and your senses too. Prince would also be a worthy companion if you are having for a mid-week light supper.
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Serves: 6
The blue cheese could be Stilton, Cashel Blue or Fourme d'Alembert for example.
Accompany with Château George 7
INGREDIENTS
1 Pumpkin or Butternut Squash (1.5kg approx)
1 shallot
1 medium-sized potato
50 cl hot vegetable stock
50 g blue cheese such as Stilton or Cashel blue or Fourme d'Alembert
1 large slice of sourdough or wholemeal bread
50 g butter, diced small
50 g grated parmesan
50 g flour
30 g of hazelnuts
1 handful of sprouting seeds such as alfafa
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
METHOD
Peel the shallot and chop it finely. Peel and cube the potato. Scrub the pumpkin and cut it into cubes (don't forget to remove the seeds). For pumpkin and butternut squash, you can cook and use the flesh AND the skin.
In a large saucepan, put 2 tbsp of olive oil and cook the shallot, potato and pumpkin for 5 minutes without browning. Add the hot vegetable stock and simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Using a stick or large blender whizz until smooth adding a little water if it is too thick. Keep warm.
Preheat the oven to 180 °/170° fan. In a bowl, rub the cubed butter into the flour with your fingertips and mix in the Parmesan cheese and the roughly chopped hazelnuts. Place this mixture on a baking sheet, covered with baking paper. Bake in the oven until the crumble turns golden brown. Take out of the oven and set aside. Cut the slice of bread into cubes and in a hot pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil, brown the croutons until they turn golden. Set them aside on a plate covered with absorbent paper. Cut the cheese into small cubes.
Pour the velouté into the soup plates, sprinkle on the croutons, the hazelnut crumble and a few cubes of blue cheese. Finish with sprouted shoots such as leek or alfafa and serve piping hot.
