It's getting colder and I feel like a soup...

"Hallo, Eeyore," said Christopher Robin, as he opened
the door and came out. "How are you?"
"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up
a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."
"Winnie-the-Pooh" by A.A.Milne

Thanks to some unexplained luck Budapest has so far avoided snowstorms and freezing temperatures... yesterday it was +5°C, today it's similiar in terms of temperature, however, there's some chill in the air...
In winter I'm really a homebody craving for warming-up food. Soups are my top food in this respect. In search of some good new recipes, I indulged myself in a book on Italian cuisine and found a dozen soup recipes that I want to try out. All of them feel so full of sunshine, light yet nourishing and full of vegetables. To start with I chose Pumpkin Soup with Orange and Thyme. So totally different from my Good Mood Pumpkin Soup. My first impression: it could almost be a dessert soup - it's so sweet and fruity. I served it with crunchy pieces of buttered toast which complimented it perfectly.

Pumpkin Soup with Orange and Thyme
Recipe comes from "Kuchnia włoska" by Penny Stephens.

Serves 4 to 6.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions or 1 large - chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
900g pumpkin*, peeled and cut into cubes
1,5l vegetable stock
juice and zest from one orange
3 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
150ml milk
salt and freshly ground pepper to season

1. Warm up the olive oil in a big pot, then fry the onion in it until transparent, around 3-4 minutes. Then add garlic and pumpkin - fry for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
2. Add the stock, orange juice, orange zest and thyme. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pot. Cook for 20 minutes until pumpkin becomes soft.
3. Let the soup cool down a bit and then blend it with a hand mixer until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add milk, stir and serve with crunchy pieces of buttered toast.**

* I used my favourite butternut squash, but I'm sure the recipe will work with other types of pumpkin/ squash as well.
** Take a roll/ a piece of toast bread and cut into cubes. Melt two tablespoons of butter on a frying pan, then add pieces of toast and fry until golden on medium heat, stirring from time to time.