Tongan Cooking 101: Pumpkin Soup

I know it's not October. And since the weather is either wet or dry here, every day I get to choose what season I am living in.

Today it felt like fall so I made Pumpkin Soup.

I found a pumpkin at the market last week. Actually, I wasn't quite sure what it was so I pointed and attempted to ask "what is that?" (in Tongan of course), to which she responded "Hina!" (Which I know translates to pumpkin).

So I paid her the 4 Pa'anga ($2.50 USD) she asked for and skipped all the way home. (Ok, maybe I didn't skip, but I sure felt like it. There are so many uses for pumpkin!)

I found a recipe in our Peace Corps Cookbook so I decided to give it a go. I also saved and roasted the seeds. Perfect snack! Here's the recipe. It was amazing and something that can be totally reproduced in the comfort of your own kitchen. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of Pumpkin (cooked)

- 2 T butter

- 2 T onion, chopped

- 1/2 t ginger

- 1 T flour

- 2 cups chicken stock/broth

- 2 cups of milk   

Instructions:

1. Saute butter, onion and ginger.

  

2. Stir in flour.

3. Cook until brown and then add the pumpkin.

  

4. Cook for 5 minutes. Then gradually add the chicken stock and milk.

5. Simmer 5 minutes more and then add salt (to taste).

6. Enjoy. :) (I put mine over rice ... I bet it would be super yummy over wild rice, too).