Pumpkin Soup
While taking the dogs to the park, I saw a Pumpkin Patch with a setup that was being used for family photo shoots. I went over and posed with my dogs. I picked up a pumpkin, and while driving back home I thought about some recipes and a Pumpkin soup came to mind
For a creamy pumpkin soup I bought the Hokkaido pumpkin, but a Butternut Squash would do.The advantage of Hokkaido is that you can use it with the shell and you don’t need to reach for the vegetable peeler, as it is the case with preparing butternut squash. While Hokkaido has a fine, nutty taste, the Butternut stands out for its tender and buttery pulp, which makes soups even more creamy.
Variations of the basic recipe: For a particularly fine consistency, add about 3/4 cup of white wine along with the broth and pass the finished soup through a sieve. The potatoes in the soup will get an even creamier consistency. Sweet carrots also would go well with pumpkin. Seasoned with a little orange, lemon or lime juice, pumpkin soup would a fruity-fresh note. For extra freshness, you could try pomegranate seeds and chopped mint or some fresh coriander. Yum!!
Which spices go well with pumpkin cream soup? You can season the pumpkin cream soup with chilli and ginger. You can cook both of them fresh chopped together with pumpkin and onions, or at the end, add them in powder form to the soup.
You could add steaming Apples (or Pear) pieces together with the pumpkin cubes in the pot. Croutons and fresh herbs are also suitable as a topping. Parsley or chives add extra flavor to the pumpkin cream soup.
Spices: Cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla, curry, ground coriander, cumin and paprika powder are also suitable. A pinch of brown sugar or a spoonful of honey would round off the pumpkin taste.
Storage: The best way to keep pumpkin soup, is in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Make sure that you let it cool down completely beforehand, and it should keep around 3-4 days. If you want to cook pumpkin soup in advance, you can also freeze it and it’ll last at least 3 months.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lb whole Pumpkin
- 2 Russet potatoes
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp butter
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley for decoration
- 4 tbsp whole or sour cream
- Dash of pepper and salt
Instructions
- Wash the Pumpkin, cut in half and clean, remove the kernels.
- Cut the cleaned pumpkin in cubes.
- Peel the potatoes and onions, cut in cubes.
- Peel the garlic and mince.
- Place butter in a hot pot and let melt.
- Fry the onions and garlic till translucent.
- Add the pumpkin and potato cubes to the pan and steam for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the same pan the vegetable broth.
- Cook on low to medium for 30 minutes, stir occasionally.
- Turn down the heat.
- Puree the soup or use a mixer, add the cream.
- Spice with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Place into soup bowls and add a tbsp of whole or sour cream on top.
- Garnish with the chopped parsley.
Notes
The best way to keep pumpkin soup, is in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Let it cool down completely beforehand, it should keep around 3-4 days. If you want to cook pumpkin soup in advance, you can also freeze it and it’ll at last at least 3 months.