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–+ servings
Two bowls of pumpkin soup with poached eggs, topped with melted grated cheese, fried onion and black pepper

Pumpkin Soup with Poached Egg and Crispy Onion (Gluten-Free)

A smooth Hokkaido pumpkin soup with eggs poached right in the pot, finished with grated cheese, crispy fried onion and black pepper. Gluten-free when the stock is: use a stock cube or powder labelled gluten-free.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: European
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup
  • 1 Hokkaido pumpkin about 1 kg / 2¼ lb; or butternut, peeled
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 garlic clove chopped
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 800 ml hot vegetable stock 3⅓ US cups; made with a stock cube or powder labelled gluten-free
  • 100 ml cream a scant ½ US cup; optional
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg optional
To serve
  • 4 eggs as fresh as you can get
  • 1 onion thinly sliced, for the crispy topping
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil for frying the onion
  • 40 g grated cheese about ½ US cup; a cheese that melts, such as Gouda
  • black pepper to finish
  • 1 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds optional

Method
 

  1. Prepare: Wash the Hokkaido, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut it into 3 cm chunks with the skin on. Chop the first onion and the garlic.
  2. Soften: Melt the butter in a wide pot over medium heat. Cook the chopped onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic for 1 minute more.
  3. Simmer: Add the pumpkin and the hot stock. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the pumpkin crushes easily against the side of the pot.
  4. Blend: Blend until smooth. Stir in the cream if you use it and season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Keep it pourable rather than thick: add a splash of water if needed.
  5. Crispy onion: While the soup simmers, fry the sliced onion in the oil in a small pan over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
  6. Poach the eggs: Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer, with small bubbles and no rolling boil. Make 4 hollows with a ladle and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft.
  7. Serve: Ladle soup and 2 eggs into each bowl. Top with the grated cheese, the crispy onion and plenty of black pepper.

Notes

Coeliac notes
• Stock is the one ingredient to check. Coeliac UK names stock cubes, soups and sauces among the foods where gluten can hide, so use a stock cube or powder labelled gluten-free, or homemade stock.
• Crispy onion: we fry our own. If you buy ready-made crispy onions, read the ingredient list as you would for any processed food.
• Pumpkin, onion, garlic, eggs, butter, cream and plain cheese contain no gluten. On a bag of pre-grated cheese, glance at the ingredients too.
• When a label is unclear, treat it as "not for me".
Storage and swaps
• Cool the soup without the eggs, put it in the fridge within 2 hours and eat it within 2 days, or freeze it (Food Standards Agency guidance). Poach fresh eggs when you reheat.
• Swap the onion topping for fried leek, or the cheese for a spoon of crème fraîche.
• Butternut works too; peel it first.
• Poaching in a separate pan of simmering water works just as well if you prefer a clear soup.

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