You will need
3 T (45 ml) olive oil
20 sage leaves
2 onions, chopped
Ina Paarman’s Rosemary & Olive Seasoning
2 sticks celery, sliced
2 carrots, grated
1 kg half and half mixture of boerpampoen and butternut, cut into 3 x 3 cm blocks
1 red chilli, finely sliced
5 cups (1,25 litres) boiling water
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman’s Chicken Flavour Stock Powder
½ cup (125 ml) fresh cream
¼ cup (60 ml) full cream milk
50 g Danish feta
¼ cup (30 g) pumpkin seeds, toasted in a dry non-stick pan until lightly browned.
Method
Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and fry the sage leaves for 30 seconds only. Remove to a paper towel and reserve for garnishing later.
Use this beautiful sage oil to sauté the onions, seasoned with Rosemary & Olive Seasoning, for 2 minutes.
Add the celery, carrots, pumpkin, butternut and chilli and stir to fry a little and to coat the vegetables with oil. Add boiling water and Chicken Stock Powder.
Simmer gently, with lid on, for 30 minutes. While the soup is cooking make the Feta Cream and toast the pumpkin seeds. To make the Feta Cream, add the feta to the cream and milk in the tall plastic container that comes with a handheld blender or use a mug. Blend for 30 seconds or until the cream is smooth. Keep it on one side.
Liquidise the soup, using the same handheld blender. Dish up into warmed soup plates or bowls.
Add a big dollop of the Feta Cream, sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and top with the best fried sage leaves.
