Gordon Ramsay's 'Naughty Chef's Trick' For Extra-Smooth Pumpkin Soup

Perfecting texture is one of the ways home-cooked recipes can rival the kinds of dishes served in restaurants. Gordon Ramsay has offered cooking tips to help home chefs step up their game, and while encouraging soup-makers to create extra creamy soup, adds one ingredient that can significantly impact the texture of each serving. 

While making soup, Ramsay plops butter into the recipe in a move he dubs a "naughty chef's trick." This nearly last step in the soup-making process is a move that helps make the soup extra smooth and delicious. In the video posted to Facebook, Ramsay shows that pumpkin that has been roasted with rosemary and garlic and is blended with butter is the kind of foundation that sets the stage for a tasty meal. In addition to adding butter, Ramsay pours just enough soup into a blender so that there is plenty of room for the soup to aerate while mixing. By filling the blender only halfway, the soup can fully pulse without spilling over or getting stuck in the container, resulting in a texture that is creamy and velvety.

Of course, Ramsay's recipe isn't the only delicious batch of pumpkin soup that can be elevated by a knob of butter and the perfect blend. A curried roasted pumpkin and lentil soup recipe can be made more decadent with the addition, and store-bought soup that has been poured out of a tin can be enhanced by a buttery drop and a quirk whirl in a blender. Experiment by using both salted and unsalted butter to add depth of flavor to your soups and consider adding an extra splash of dairy or dairy-free cream to the mix for added velvety appeal. A dollop of full-fat cream or coconut milk can turn a pre-made soup into a meal of beauty. 

Prior to serving, layer this can't-put-the-spoon-down dish with an added garnish of roasted pumpkin seeds or a handful of fried mushrooms to offer contrast to each creamy bowl. This pretty presentation is the kind of display Ramsay himself would approve of.