A rich and creamy soup, packed with warming spices such as black pepper and nutmeg. The added heavy cream makes this soup incredibly smooth and delicious but feel free to skip it and keep this recipe vegan.
Comes fall, I go pumpkin crazy, just like the 99% of the rest of people. It seems as though we forget just how awesome pumpkins taste and how insanely versatile they are until autumn hits. Then we are surprised and amazed all over and have an urge to add pumpkin to everything. No wonder the pumpkin spice latte became a cult drink. Since I recently used up my last can of pumpkin puree, I am limited to only using fresh pumpkin for the rest of the season. (You cannot purchase it here in Switzerland.) And if you have any baking experience with pumpkin puree you know that fresh is anything but ideal for baked goods…this is actually one of those times where store-bought wins over homemade. Yep, I just said that, and yep my slogan is simply homemade.
While I do crave those pumpkin cookies that I now cannot make, I decided to make a savory dish with pumpkin instead. What better recipe to showcase pumpkin than a pumpkin soup? Duh* So I put on my apron, took out my sharpest knife and chopped up that big pumpkin I had displayed on my kitchen counter. I even ran out into my garden (in the pouring rain) to grab some fresh sage. Now that’s some serious commitment to a pumpkin recipe.
When you cook with vegetables, especially if the vegetables are the star of the show, you need to add a sufficient amount of spices and herbs to create an aromatic dish. Dont be greedy with the salt and pepper and don’t be afraid to give it a bit of a kick. Use fresh herbs for more intense flavors and feel free to experiment and see what herbs you like. Remember to start off with small amounts and taste as you go, you can always add more later.
Now lets talk about the pumpkin for a second. I prefer using a hokkaido pumpkin for soups as it contains less water than other varieties which gives your soup more flavour. Dont be intimidated by the tough skin, while it is very hard, it is actually quite thin. You can easily peel it with a (sharp) vegetable peeler. Chopping up the pumpkin is what takes the most time. If you are in a rush you can use pre-cut pumpkin to speed things up.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know in the comment section down below how you liked it. Stay cozy and warm! 🙂
- 1 1/2kg hokkaido pumpkin (3.3oz)
- 1 very large onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1l vegetable broth (4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- a handful of fresh sage
- 100ml heavy cream* (1/2 cup)
- Cut the pumpkin in half, scrape out the seeds, peel, and cut into bite size pieces.
- Cut the onion into small pieces. Add olive oil to a big pot and sauté the onion until translucent, for about 3 minutes.
- Then add the chopped pumpkin and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and spices and bring to a boil. Once it has boiled, add in the sage and turn down the heat. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
- Let it cool for a few minutes before transfering to a blender. Remove the sage leaves and add the soup to your blender along with the heavy cream. Blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary.
- Serve topped with sage or thym leaves, a dallop of sour cream and pumpkin seeds.
- *If you are omitting the heavy cream, use 1/2 cup of water instead
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