When you think of autumn, you think of pumpkin. And when you think of Groningen’s local specialities, Groningen sausage and Groningen mustard spring to mind. And guess what? They’re not only delicious on your canapé platter, but also in your autumnal pumpkin soup. The sweetness of the pumpkin, the tang of Groningen mustard and the distinctive flavour of the cloves in Groningen sausage create a delightful taste sensation. Add a slice of bread, light a candle, and you’re all set for autumn. Enjoy cooking!
Ingredients (serves 4)
1 pumpkin
2 onions
1 tbsp Groningen mustard
3 tbsp oil
A pinch of salt and pepper
500 ml stock
1 Groningen sausage
Groningen sausage
The battle over who makes the tastiest dry sausage has been raging for centuries. Traditionally, every region, town or village in the North had its own recipe with its own blend of spices. But what makes a Groningen dry sausage a Groningen dry sausage? It’s the generous amount of cloves. And it’s slightly less firm than, for example, the Drenthe variety. People from Groningen love it and enjoy serving it on their snack platters. You can get the sausage in any supermarket, but it’s better to buy it from the butcher round the corner. It’s often tastier and made with better meat.
Groningen mustard
What is it about that Groningen mustard? In the past, mustard was the seasoning of choice for the poorer sections of the population. Whilst the wealthy enjoyed expensive herbs and spices from the Far East, the poor made something tasty from what simply grew on their own land: mustard seeds. Every region had its own recipe. Typical of Groningen is the coarse grind, plenty of kick and, on top of that, a fair amount of tang from the vinegar.
Development
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Scoop out the flesh from the pumpkin, peel it and cut it into pieces. Cut the onions into eighths and spread the pumpkin and onions out on the baking tray. Meanwhile, mix the oil and Groningen mustard together. Drizzle the mustard and oil mixture over the pumpkin and onions. Place the baking tray in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Dice the Groningen sausage and fry it in a pan until crispy.
Remove the pumpkin and onions from the oven and place them in the soup pan. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and purée the mixture into a soup using a hand blender. Add a little extra water if necessary. (It just depends on how thick you want your soup to be.)
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. (Bear in mind that the pieces of dry sausage will also add flavour.)
Scatter pieces of Groningen sausage over the soup.
Enjoy your meal!
