I didn’t grow up eating pumpkins. The only pumpkins I ever saw were the ones we carved at Halloween. Yes, we had a big garden growing up, but pumpkins never entered the mix. Almost a decade ago, my friends, Ben and Ken, had a fabulous fall dinner party in their backyard and each guest was assigned something to bring. I could write an entire book on the fabulous parties and get togethers at their house, but I am getting off topic. So, I was assigned the soup course. My friends that were coming that night were all fabulous cooks, so I really wanted to do something special and out of my comfort zone. After searching on Pinterest for “fall soups”, these recipes for pumpkin soup kept coming up. I didn’t even know how to roast a pumpkin. But the day of this party, I began roasting away and although I found what looked like several good recipes, I couldn’t find just one that had everything I thought I needed. So of course I took several recipes, melded them together and came up with my own.
Adding apples and carrots creates a sweetness and depth of flavor. Yes, you can leave them out. That is the glory of cooking, everything is optional. If you do leave them out, I might would add maple syrup. It needs a touch of sweetness. An important layer of flavor is the roasted garlic. When roasted, the garlic turns into a buttery, sweet paste that adds that unexplainable goodness.
You have to taste the soup. After you have blended it smooth, taste. Today, my pumpkins were not as sweet as I would have liked so I added some maple syrup. Honey would have worked well too. An immersion blender works well, but make sure to really blend it well. Lumpy pumpkin soup is not very good.
I totally suggest keeping the pumpkin seeds and roasting them. Toss them with olive oil and your favorite spices- I use garlic powder, celery salt, onion powder, paprika, cayenne and salt. Roast them on 350 for 15 minutes, shaking the baking sheet a few times during cooking.
There may be a fancy name for the small orange pumpkins I use, but I have always just called them pie pumpkins. Don’t get a carving pumpkin. The smaller pumpkins are sweeter and best for the soup.
You could pair this soup with a buttery Chardonnay or a Pinot Noir. I paired it with a Meiomi Pinot Noir. It’s one of the best Pinots for the money, around $20 a bottle. Vivino rates it a 4.1. It has great hints of vanilla that pairs very well with the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
2 pie pumpkins
1 head of garlic
2 sweet apples
2 carrots
4-6 cups chicken stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
nutmeg
Directions
Slice the pumpkins in half (scoop out the seeds and pulp and set aside. Cut the apples in half and spoon out the seed core. Place pumpkins, apples, carrots and the head of garlic on a baking sheets. Drizzle olive oil, add salt and pepper. Roast in a 350 degree oven for an hour or until soft. Set aside to cool.
Remove the pumpkin pulp from the skin, same with the apple. Cut the garlic head top off and squeeze the roasted garlic out. Place the pumpkin pulp, apple pulp, garlic and carrots into a pot. Add a dash of nutmeg. Press with a potato masher. Add in the chicken stock. Cook on medium low. Taste the soup and add what is needed.
Use a blender or food processor to blend the soup into a smooth, velvety concoction. Pour into bowl and drizzle heavy cream on the top (optional).
Make this recipe your own. Add cayenne pepper for a little heat or add maple syrup for more sweetness. You could even drizzle the top with a balsamic glaze. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds. Lots of options!
