Known for his delicate and flavorful cuisine inspired by fresh local ingredients and traditional French cooking, Michelin Chef Franck Salein created this hearty appetizer to celebrate the beautiful season of pumpkin. During fall when this orange beauty is most abundant, particularly in October, many families make all kinds of dishes using pumpkin as the main ingredient, including cakes, gratins, crumbles, and pies. Out of all these luscious sweet and savory dishes, perhaps none is more loved than the rich and deliciously creamy pumpkin diet soup recipe.

This recipe adds a touch of spice and aroma to the classic soup with the use of cardamom. It is an invigorating version that will uplift downtrodden spirits. Unlike many pumpkin soup recipes, this is a light appetizer served in a small bowl or wide cappuccino cup to be enjoyed similar to coffee. You can sip this smooth and velvety soup or enjoy it bit by bit with a spoon. For a totally indulgent first course, enjoy this dish with a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. The wine should not be too bold or carry too much oak so as not to overpower this delicately spicy dish. A creamy and complex white wine like Margaret River chardonnay will complement the flavors used in this recipe.

Pumpkin cappuccino with cardamom will taste particularly spectacular with Fixin wines, which have a full body but delicate texture, and produce both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The best kind of pumpkin to use for this recipe is the Muscade de Provence, which has a sweet and musky flavor with a hint of hazelnut and will combine perfectly well with the aroma and flavor of cardamom. Other ingredients that you need to make this recipe include onion, garlic, cardamom, thyme, bay leaf, salt, olive oil, pepper, poultry stock, and powdered milk.

Ingredients

1 lb. pumpkin
3.5 oz. onions
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
thyme and laurel
2 tablespoons fowl stock
a few cardamom grains
0.53 oz. (about 1 tablespoon) powdered skim milk
salt, pepper

Start by heating a saucepan with some olive oil. Add sliced onions. Add a clove of garlic. As soon as the onions turn translucent add the chunks of pumpkin slices. Season with salt and pepper. Add a touch of cardamom seeds. Pour poultry stock to add moisture. Let it gently simmer without coming to a full boil. Add thyme and bay leaf. Let this cook for about 20 minutes.

When cooked, remove the garlic, and pour soup in the blender. Blend until you get a nice and creamy soup. Filter through a sieve to get an extremely smooth consistency.

Boil some water and add powdered milk. With an electric mixer, whip the milk into a chantilee mousse.

To serve, pour the pumpkin soup in a bowl. Using a spoon, place a circle of the frothy milk on top of the soup to decorate and flavor.