Pumpkin Soup....the best ever. Trust me. When sharing..accidentally forget to tell others about the coriander and peanut butter....OOPPS!

Whenever I make this soup, I am guaranteed to please. The fine balance of  orange, peanut and the chilli flavours always have my guests asking for more. Instead of chopping onions and garlic, I tend to be a bit lazy and throw mine through a food processor without altering the final outcome. Because it is a thick soup it is best served as an entire meal with crusty bread/hot garlic, herb or cheese bread. If serving as a course before a meal, you may like to serve small amounts.

2 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed (mortar and pestle)

1 fresh chilli, (green or Red according to preference of taste) chopped finely

1 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 kg sweet potato (Kumara), peeled and cubed

4 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of orange juice

1 or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook on low heat until the onions soften and become transparent. Add Curry powder, crushed coriander seeds, chopped chilli, salt and pepper to the onion mixture. Continue to stir over medium heat. Add the sweet potato and the pumpkin to the saucepan, toss for roughly one minute. Add the chicken stock. If you do not have chicken stock on hand, feel free to replace with water, and add 2 or 3 chicken stock cubes. Bring your soup to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are beginning to naturally mash. Add orange juice and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. Taste it, if it is not too nutty add a second. Be careful as the nutty flavour can take over. Allow soup to cool. Puree the soup in  a blender allowing it to thicken and become smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup hot, with a swirl of sour cream through it. Dress the soup with a sprinkling of chopped coriander.