ginger-flavoured pumpkin soup with cardamom espuma

Cardamom is one of these spices I'm really addicted to since the first time I tried it. The combination with salty ingredients sounds quite uncommom as cardamom is mostly known from christmas bakery. Its lemon-like fresh taste is really harmonic and amazing together with the pumpkin. In order to get the most amazing espuma, buy some organic whole cardamom capsules and process them with your mortar!

Step I: Start with the pumpkin soup

Heat up a little olive oil in a large pot. Remove the sprout from the garlic and cut in small cubes. Also cut the shallot and add it with the garlic to the pot.

Cut a hokkaido pumpkin in halves and remove its core with a spoon. Add coarse chunks of pumpkin to the pot and roast it with some soja sauce. 

Step II: Add flavours

Fill up the vegetables with water and season with salt. Add some heat resistant herbs such as rosmary, thyme, sage or oregano. Keep them in one piece so you can easily remove them later. Let the soup cook until the pumpkin is soft. Always keep the pot covered with a lid in order to remain all flavours inside.

Heat up milk in a small pot. Smash the cardamom capsules in a mortal. Usually I take one or two for a quarter liter. Add them to the warm milk, close with a lid and let slowly simmer. Let the cardamom infuse in hot milk. 

Step III: It all comes together

Remove the herbs from the soup. Peel about a thumb size of fresh ginger using a sharp knife. Cut the ginger in small cubes and mix with the soup until it's soft and creamy. Season with pepper and some more salt if needed.

For the espuma filter the cardamom milk through a sieve. Use a milk frother or a mixer to produce the espuma. Decorate the soup in soup plates with the espuma.