savory season
Never in my life have I been a fan of creamy soups. Brothy? Vegetarian? Totally lacking in beans? Bring it on. But creamy? Never. The faces made in response to the very suggestion are most unpleasant indeed. There is, however, an exception. This roasted pumpkin soup boasts both a brothy base and a creamy consistency. Not only do I not hate it, I quite look forward to it, as does Dennie. It is the very definition of chilly-weather comfort food, the ideal meal or side dish to celebrate the arrival of fall and warm your insides throughout the winter months.
We first made a variation of this recipe in early winter of 2023, and, as it's a great choice for freezing, we continued to enjoy the second batch well into the spring. If you love to cook, you've got the time, and you're not willing to settle for anything less than authenticity, get out your sharpest pumpkin-cutting knife and use the second recipe in this post. If, like us, you prefer not to spend all day in the kitchen, the directions I'll include first may suit you better. Our recipe has been simplified to include ingredients we're more likely to have on hand and to significantly cut down on preparation, cooking, and cleanup time. This can be done in a small batch using a Dutch oven on your stovetop, or, to make even less work for yourself and more soup for freezing, double the recipe, heap everything into a crockpot in the morning, then, go take a hayride, press some cider, make a few candles, or tour a pumpkin patch until it's time for dinner. (On second thought, maybe don't leave your crockpot on and unattended while you're out of the house, but definitely relax. Less effort. Less cleanup. More food to enjoy throughout the season. What's not to love?)
Happy Fall, y'all...and welcome to The Savory Season!
Savory Roasted Pumpkin Soup (the easy-but-still-super-tasty method)
2 - 15oz. cans of pumpkin purée
olive oil
4 large or 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (heaped)
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg (heaped)
1/8 tsp. cloves
dash or two of cayenne pepper (to taste)
freshly ground black pepper
4 C. vegetable broth made from Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Seasoned Vegetable Base
1/2 C. evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
finely shredded parmesan
ground Mediterranean oregano
In large saucepan, prepare vegetable broth according to Better Than Bouillon directions.
Meanwhile, if cooking on stovetop, drizzle olive oil into bottom of large Dutch oven. Once oil is shimmering, add garlic. Cook briefly. If using a crock pot for all-day simmering, drizzle oil, add garlic, and proceed to next step.
Add pumpkin purée, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cayenne. With pepper grinder, do a few twists through a few rounds over the pot; adjust to taste. For stovetop, pour in the broth and bring mixture to boil; reduce heat and simmer for fifteen minutes. For crockpot, simply stir in the broth and allow all the ingredients to cook and simmer on low heat throughout the day.
Add evaporated milk and honey, blending it into the soup thoroughly. Heat for a few more minutes and serve. For garnish, sprinkle a small mound of finely shredded parmesan and top with a light dusting of oregano. (You may also--or instead--top with roasted pepitas as described in the longer recipe below.)
Savory Roasted Pumpkin Soup (the don't-make-any-other-plans gourmet method)
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 - 4lb. sugar pie pumpkin
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 large or 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
dash of cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
4 C. vegetable broth
1/2 C. full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream
2 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
1/4 C. pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Carefully halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds (set these aside for roasting if you like, but you won’t need them for this recipe).
Slice each pumpkin half in half again to make quarters. Brush or rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over the flesh of the pumpkin and place the quarters, cut sides down, onto the baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes or longer, until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add onion, garlic, and salt. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, peel the pumpkin skin off the pumpkins and discard the skin
Add the pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Use your stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit. Pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, toast the pepitas in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, golden and making little popping noises. You want them to be nice and toasty, but not burnt. Transfer pepitas to a bowl to cool.
Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly. You can use an immersion blender to blend this soup in the pot, or, for creamier results, use a stand blender. Working in batches, transfer soup to blender, making sure not to exceed the maximum fill line. Secure the blender lid and use a kitchen towel to protect your hand from steam escaping from the top of the blender as you purée the mixture until smooth. Transfer the puréed soup to a serving bowl and repeat with the remaining batches.
Taste and adjust as necessary. Add more milk if you want to make it creamier, more syrup to make it sweeter, or extra spice to your preference.
Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle pepitas over the top and serve. Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight storage container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days (the flavor is even better the second day!) Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.