What I love the most about this velouté besides its creaminess, is the fact that it calls for just a few ingredients until the traditional soup joumou, which calls for beef chunks, chicken feet, carrots, turnips, potatoes, celery, both spaghetti and macaroni…see for yourself with the ingredient list and instructions below. Please note that the water proportions are approximate and will vary according to your taste. I tend to like my velouté thick, so I try not to add too much liquid to the mix.
Transfer them along with the pumpkin and leeks (optional) to a pot filled with water
Bring to a boil and let cook until the vegetables are so tender they can be easily pureed
Extract the pumpkin pulp from the vegetable skin
Transfer it to a blender along with the potatoes and leeks (optional)
Add just enough of the water to the blender to help the pureeing process
Once the mixture is smooth and creamy transfer it to a pot
Add about ½ or 1 cup of water. How much you add will depend on how thick you want your velouté to be. It should be on the creamier side
Season lightly with salt and pepper and the bunch of thyme
Uncover and let simmer until the mixture thickens, about 45 minutes
Remove the thyme bunch
Just before serving, add the cream and cheese
Mix well until the cheese melts
Serve warm
Notes
Our giraumon has a natural sweetness, try not to overpower it with salt. You can make this velouté as thick or thin as you’d like. I personally like mine on the thick side, but for a thinner version, simply add more liquid (water) to the mix. As far as the leeks are concerned, you can add them to the blender or leave the chunks in the velouté.