Alex W Tschaar/Csar provides a recipe from his cousin in Austria for that Burgenland specialty, pumpkin soup. My wife and I still remember how we enjoyed a lengthy and memorable Oberpullendorf lunch which started with a bowl of this delicacy. It was in the Fall and pumpkins were being opened for their seeds in order to press oil. Although much pumpkin flesh ends up as cattle feed, a lot goes into this seasonal soup.
(Berthold Tschaar, courtesy of Alex Tschaar/Csar)
- enough Oil to cover bottom of the pot (veg., canola or corn)
- One Lg. Onion (chopped)
- 2 lbs. of pumpkin flesh, chopped into I" squares
- 1 tsp. Paprika
- 3/4 Cup of Beef Broth
- 1/4 Cup of Sour Cream or Heavy Cream
- Flour (for thickening)
- Salt, pepper, dill, cummin, vinegar and garlic in the quantities to suit your taste
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp.pepper
- 1 tsp.dill
- 1 tsp.cummin
- 1 Tbsp. Vinegar
- 1 clove garlic pressed or 1 tsp. garlic powder
Sauté the onion in the oil for 2-3 min., add the chopped pumpkin and sauté for another 5 min. Add the Paprika, vinegar, beef broth, sour cream or heavy cream and all the spices. Bring to the boil and thicken with the flour [or corn starch], lower the heat and simmer for 15 min. Be careful not to scorch. At this point remove from heat and put in blender until smooth and creamy. Serve topped with a dab of sour cream and a few drops of Pumpkin Seed Oil on the top of the sour cream. This recipe was given to me by my cousin Berthold (Tschaar) CSAR. Berthold is a Chef Teacher at the Culinary Arts Institute in Austria.