Roasted Pumpkin Soup with JAZZ™ Apple Crostini

This post was paid for by JAZZ™ Apples and I am literally “jazzing up” the classic wintery pumpkin soup with some delicious apple crostinis.  In this recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Soup with JAZZ™ Apple Crostini it could not be easier to make these tasty morsels and take a soup we are all so familiar with up a notch or two.

Slice the apples into thick wedges and place on a baking sheet. Top with a thick slice of the sharpest most mature cheddar you can afford, some crispy fried bacon and bake until the cheese has melted. Add a grinding of black pepper and serve with the soup. The natural sweetness of the soup, the tartness of the apple, sharp savoury of the cheese and saltiness of the bacon makes for a flavoursome bowl of winter warmth.

You can certainly play around with the toppings, change the cheese (but keep it to a cheese packed with flavour) and swap out the bacon for chorizo, or a spicy sausage like pepperoni. The options are as plentiful as the flavour combinations you enjoy.

“Grown with passion in sun-drenched orchards, enjoy the crunchy tangy-sweet, juicy invigoration only JAZZ™ apples can deliver. The collision of delightful flavours that combine into an overwhelming sensorial explosion is the result of natural breeding between the Royal Gala and Braeburn varieties. This is an apple that is a refreshing taste sensation! Originating in the beautiful orchards of New Zealand, JAZZ™ apples are now also grown in premium apple-growing countries in South Africa, the UK, Europe, USA, Chile and Australia. Look out for the distinctive bright blue label on every delicious JAZZ™ apple pack at any Checkers.”

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Soup with JAZZ™ Apple Crostini. If you’ve made it, share it with me by tagging @heinstirred on Instagram with the hashtag #heinstirred. It is always a treat to see the recipes made and enjoy.

The recipe was shot on the SNOEK PATE design from my range of photography and flatly backgrounds. Click this link to see the whole range.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with JAZZ™ Apple Crostini

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Ingredients

  

• 800 g pumpkin or butternut cubed
• 4 cloves garlic whole and in the skin
• olive oil for drizzling
• 1 onion chopped
• olive oil for frying
• 1 tsp cumin
• 4 cups warm chicken stock
• salt and pepper to season
• Crostini:
• 2 JAZZ™ apples cored and cut into thick wedges
• sharp, mature cheddar cut into thin slices, enough to put a slice on each wedge of apple
• 6 slices bacon fried and finely chopped (add the bacon fat to the soup for extra flavour)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
• Place the pumpkin/butternut and garlic on a roasting tray and drizzle with some oil.
• Roast until the pumpkin is cooked and the edges are starting to caramelise, about 40 minutes.
• Set aside to cool down until you can touch the garlic without burning your fingers.
• Fry the onion in a splash of oil over a medium heat until softened.
• Add the pumpkin/butternut, squeeze the garlic out of the skins and add
• Sweat the veggies for a further 5 minutes.
• Add the stock and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Remove from the heat and puree the soup, adding more stock if required.
• Cover the soup to stay warm while you make the crostini.
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
• Line a baking sheet with baking paper and place the apple slices on the paper.
• Top with cheese and bacon.
• Bake for about 5 minutes until the cheese just starts to melt.
• Grind black pepper on top and serve immediately with the soup