How to Make Pumpkin Soup

Guide Note

Sweet or savory, herbs or spices, cream or coconut milk--the range of ingredients you can use in pumpkin soup makes it a versatile dish to serve at almost any occasion. As you learn the basics of how to make pumpkin soup, be creative and combine the flavors you enjoy the most.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Step 1: What You Will Need
• Step 2: Cooking the Pumpkin
• Step 3: Making the Soup
• Variations
• References

Pumpkin Soup Tips

1. Use canned pumpkin puree to save time and whip up a quick soup for last minute guests.
2. Use half-n-half or low-fat milk to reduce the calories or soy milk for an all vegan alternative.
3. Always add your milk or cream at the end so you don't scald it.
4. For a different flavor, substitute yams, sweet potatoes, acorn squash or butternut squash for the pumpkin.
5. Scoop out a fresh medium-sized pumpkin and use it as an au naturale soup tureen to serve your soup.

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Introduction

• Autumn is the season of the pumpkin. From pumpkin pie and toasted pumpkin seeds to the perfectly carved decoration, pumpkins are an American tradition. Another popular and delicious way to celebrate this Vitamin A-rich vegetable is to make a creamy pumpkin soup.

Step 1: What You Will Need

• While there are a variety of ingredients and ways to make pumpkin soup, the steps here will give you a basic recipe to please almost any palate. This recipe serves 6-8 people.

Ingredients

• 

  (Creative Commons photo by stu_spivack)
  2 cups of roasted pumpkin (or canned pumpkin puree)
• 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup light cream or milk
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 medium apple, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Equipment

• Large saucepan and/or stockpot
• Rimmed baking sheet
• Cutting board
• Large serrated knife
• Food processor
• Large spoon

Step 2: Cooking the Pumpkin

• Your soup can be made with canned pumpkin, but roasting your own fresh pumpkin will lend a richer flavor to your soup that is both sweeter and nuttier.¹

Preparing the Pumpkin

1. Look for smaller pie or sweet pumpkin varieties which have a much sweeter taste.²
   • A 3 1/2 pound pumpkin yields about 1 cup of pumpkin puree.³
2. Place newspaper down on your work surface for easy cleanup later.⁴
3. Rinse the pumpkin in cool water and pat dry.
4. Use a sharp serrated knife to remove the stem.
5. Cut the pumpkin in half.
6. Scoop out the stringy mass and the seeds.⁵
7. Save the seeds. Pumpkin seeds can be cooked in a variety of ways to make a delicious snack.
8. Discard the newspaper, stem and stringy innards.

Roasting the Pumpkin

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on a baking sheet.⁶
3. Cook for an hour or until the flesh is tender.⁴
4. Allow pumpkin to cool and scoop flesh from the skin.
5. Puree the pumpkin flesh in a food processor and set aside for later.

Step 3: Making the Soup

• Now that you have your roasted pumpkin puree made, it's time to put your soup together.

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by stu_spivack)
   In a large saucepan or stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.⁷
2. Add the carrot, apple, onion and garlic.
3. Saute until the vegetables are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.⁸
4. Remove mixture from heat and puree in the food processor.
5. Return your pureed mixture to your pan.⁹
6. Add the pumpkin puree, chicken or vegetable stock, parsley and thyme.
7. Stir all the ingredients well over medium-high heat and bring to boil.⁷
8. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.⁸
9. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste.
10. Heat and stir for 5 minutes more.
    • Do not let soup boil!⁹
11. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with fresh ground pepper.⁶

Variations

• There is a multitude of flavors you can add to your pumpkin soup and a variety of garnishes to put on it when you are ready to serve.

Additions

1. Use unsweetened coconut milk, ripe banana and curry for an exotic flair.¹⁰
2. Flavor with vanilla to satisfy your sweet tooth.¹¹
3. For a nutty pumpkin soup, add creamy peanut butter.¹²

Toppings

1. Use fresh or dried herbs such as basil, cilantro, Herbs de Provence, Oregano, parsley, sage or thyme.
2. Try spices such as cayenne pepper, chili pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, coriander, cumin, curry or ginger.
3. Sprinkle on pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds or dried fruits such as cranberries, apricots, apples or figs.
4. Top your soup with a favorite dairy such as creme fraiche, sour cream, yogurt, Cheddar or Parmesan cheese.

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References for How to Make Pumpkin Soup

1. ↑ WebMD: Roasted Vegetables
2. ↑ All Recipes: Pumpkin
3. ↑ The Pumpkin Farm: FAQ
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} TonyTantillo: Pumpkin
5. ↑ Pumpkin Patches: Pumpkin Cooking
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} MarthaStewart: Harvest Pumpkin Soup
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Epicurious.com: Spiced Pumpkin Soup
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} FoodNetwork: Pumpkin Soup
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} AllRecipes: Cream of Pumpkin Soup
10. ↑ Epicurious: Spiced Pumpkin Soup
11. ↑ Mom-mom.com: Vanilla Pumpkin Soup
12. ↑ Mom-mom.com: Peanut Pumpkin Soup

More Pumpkin Soup Recipes

• Mahalo: Pumpkin Soup
• MarthaStewart: Harvest Pumpkin Soup
• AllRecipes: Cream of Pumpkin Soup
• Epicurious: Spiced Pumpkin Soup
• 101Cookbooks: Thai-spiced Pumpkin Soup
• Cooks.com: Curry Pumpkin Soup