Description
This Easy Pumpkin Soup recipe is a creamy, comforting, and flavorful dish perfect for chilly days. Combining pumpkin with sweet potato, carrot, and warming spices like cumin and nutmeg, the soup is sautéed and simmered before being blended to a smooth consistency. A splash of cream at the end adds extra richness, making it a delightful starter or light meal that serves 8.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 medium onion, roughly diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 pounds pumpkin, peeled and deseeded, roughly chopped
Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
Liquids
- 5 cups chicken stock (or water with bouillon)
- Cream (to taste, optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, peeled and chopped carrot, sweet potato, and pumpkin. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to soften the vegetables slightly.
- Season the soup: Sprinkle in the brown sugar, ground nutmeg, cumin, ginger, salt, and pepper. Continue roasting the vegetables for another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften and brown lightly, enhancing the flavors.
- Cook the soup: Pour the chicken stock over the vegetables in the pot. Add the bay leaf and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook gently for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the vegetables to become tender.
- Blend the soup: Remove the pot from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly for safe blending. Using a stick blender for convenience, blend the soup until it reaches a smooth consistency. Alternatively, carefully transfer in batches to a regular blender, following the manufacturer’s instructions for blending hot liquids.
- Finish the soup: Return the blended soup to medium heat and warm through. Stir in cream to adjust the consistency to your preference, if desired. Heat the soup for an additional 2-3 minutes, then serve hot.
Notes
- For a vegan version, substitute butter with olive oil and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Adjust the amount of nutmeg if you prefer a more subtle warm spice flavor.
- The cream is optional; for a lighter soup, omit or use a plant-based cream alternative.
- If using a regular blender, blend the soup in small batches and vent the lid slightly to prevent pressure build-up.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
