Pumpkin soup

The perfect weather for soup is here. It's has been raining for the last few days and it has cooled Manila quite a bit. A welcome change from the hot summer we experienced since February. One of the foods that can be truly enjoyed during the rains is a hot bowl of soup. We are not soup enthusiasts per se, but we do enjoy the occasional bowl of soup, specially if the weather is chilly. Pumpkins are available through the year in Manila, however I haven't cooked it much before as I don't really know any recipes, and thought a soup would be a good place to start. Some variety in our meals was in order specially as far as vegetables are concerned and that is how the pumpkin soup came to be.

I went through a few sites and gathered, that pumpkin soup is one of the easiest things to cook, apart from one or two ingredients that can be added or given a miss, depending on your preferences, almost all recipes are the same, and even a novice cook can't get this wrong.
Without further ado, let's get cooking!

Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin (Squash) - 500 gms
2. Onion (large) - 1 no
3. Garlic - 3 flakes
4. Oil/ Butter - as required
5. Water - 1 litre 
6. Chicken stock cube - 1 no
7. Milk (Full cream) - 1/2 cup
8. Dried mixed herbs - 1 tsp
9. Salt and freshly ground pepper - as needed

Method:

1. Roughly chop the garlic, onion, and pumpkin. 
2. In a deep pan, heat oil/butter, add the chopped garlic and onion and sauté till it softens and turns pink. 
3. Add the chopped pumpkin and mixed herbs and sauté well, add half a cup of water and let it cook till the vegetable is cooked and has turned soft.This should take about ten to twelve minutes. 
4. Cool the vegetable mixture and use a blender to make a smooth creamy paste. Use water as required to achieve the right consistency.
5. Empty the vegetable paste into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, add the seasoning, stock cube and water. 
6. As it starts boiling, slowly stir in the milk, all the while gently stirring the soup and mixing the contents together. 
7. Adjust the seasoning and consistency and your soup is ready.