Butternut pumpkin & sweet potato soup

This is a perfect soup for this autumn and winter season, although I am living in Oman, I got so much used to the temperatures that now with 25 degrees I feel that is winter :) I even wear a jumper and socks at home!

The idea of living in a country with winter again just freaks me out, I really don't like cold. I like it around Christmas because is part of the spirit but 2 or 3 weeks of pure winter is fine for me.

This just to say that this is a soup that reminds the winter soups full of flavour and thick consistence. I tried this soup for the first time at friends place, she has a natural talent in the kitchen, with amazing and innovative recipes...I love when I go there for dinner, is all the time wondering what will be the dinner :)
She gave this recipe and I confess that I still prefer her soup to mine.

One good thing of being an expat is the opportunity to meet lovely people from all over the world and the interchange of knowledge, opinions, recipes, experiences...

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 600 gr of butternut pumpkin
• 400 gr of orange sweet potato
• 1 tsp of tarragon (optional)
• 6 cups of vegetable stock (organic) or 6 cups of water 
• Salt and ground pepper to taste
• Olive oil 

Let's do it:

• Dice the pumpkin and the sweet potato and place then in a ceramic tray with olive oil and roast them in the oven until browned. It takes around 30 minutes
• Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan on on medium to low heat
• Slice the onion and the garlic and add them to the saucepan. Cook it until softened. Takes about 5 minutes
• Add the pumpkin and sweet potato to the sauce pan 
• Add the tarragon and then the 6 cups of vegetable stock or water and season with salt and pepper
• Bring to simmer for more or less 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin and sweet potato are breaking apart 
• Blend the soup. At this point you can add more water if you don't want a thick consistency.
• Bring it to low heat for more 5 minutes
• Transfer the soup to bowls and add fresh basil and pine nuts 

This soup is really filling so is perfect for a dinner. Sometimes we just have this soup for dinner with some grilled halloumi. 

The good thing of this soup is that you can freeze it as it keeps the flavour and consistency. Is nice to have some frozen soup to emergencies :) 

I really like butternut squash. 

I do it quite often roasted in the oven with salt, thyme and coconut oil...you should try it. The coconut oil intensifies the flavour of the pumpkin and is divine. 

Today I leave you Devendra Banhart that is a Venezuelan-American singer. Born in Houston but grew up in Venezuela. 

I really like his rhythm and lyrics. 

I hope you like it :)