Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Ginger, Orange and Crispy Parmesan Croutons

Method

1. Peel the butternut squash, cut off the ends, and slice into cubes. Set aside some cubes for the crispy garnish.
2. Finely chop the spring onion. Heat olive oil in a pot and sauté the spring onion until softened.
3. Slice an orange (with peel) into thin rounds and add to the pot.
4. Grate or finely chop fresh ginger and add to the pot.
5. Peel and dice a potato, add to the pot and stir.
6. Add the main squash pieces (reserving the garnish cubes) to the pot, cover with water, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then uncover and cook for another 10 minutes until the squash is very tender.
7. While the soup cooks, toss the reserved squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Also cube some bread. Heat a pan with olive oil and fry the squash cubes and bread cubes with sage leaves until golden and crispy. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the hot croutons so it sticks.
8. Once the soup is cooked, remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or a blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy, adding some of the cooking liquid as needed to reach the desired consistency.
9. Serve the soup in bowls. Top with the crispy squash cubes, Parmesan croutons, and crispy sage leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of pepper.