Cooking doesn’t get much simpler than pumpkin soup. Three or four ingredients, and 30 minutes in the kitchen, can still give you a comforting, smooth concoction that’s a lifesaver on a chilly day.
“It’s one of those great winter warmers that people think of as a comfort food,” says James Brinklow, chef at The Lane in the Adelaide Hills. “And it’s so easy to prepare.”
Basic pumpkin soup recipe
- Chop an onion and fry gently until translucent.
- Stir in peeled pumpkin pieces — smaller bits will cook faster.
- Add stock or water to cover and cook gently until softened.
- Blend with stick mixer or food processor until smooth and season to taste.
But if you want to hot up your soup, to pimp your pumpkin, here are 10 top tricks to try.
Pumpkin soup tips
1 – Pick your pumpkin
Different pumpkins will end up producing a different result. The good news is that the most common, off-the-shelf types — the butternut, Jap (otherwise known as Kent) and Queensland blue all have the dense texture sweet flavour to make an excellent soup.
James likes the Jap pumpkin, saying its flesh is more consistent and sweet, but it’s worth experimenting to find your favourite.
Look for blemish-free pumpkins that make a hollow sound when knocked. If cut, make sure the flesh is bright coloured and not fibrous.
Chef Annie Smithers, from Victorian regional dining star du Fermier, cautions that some of the rarer breed pumpkins, while looking wonderful, might not be suitable.
“Pumpkin soup is best made with your good, old-fashioned varieties like butternut or Queensland blue — the harder pumpkins,” she says. “Soft fleshed pumpkins can make the soup a little watery. They are a different beast… from your standard greengrocer pumpkin.”
2 – Add more vegetables
As lovely as pumpkin is, its natural sweetness needs a little back-up to really shine.
Try sweating a chopped leek with, or instead of, onion at the start of cooking. Add potato to make the texture a little thicker and more velvety. Carrot or even parsnip will bring a pleasing earthiness — just make sure they are cut smaller so they will be softened at the same rate.
The biggest surprise, though, is a combo with fruit, not veg.
Throw in a chopped granny smith apple and that little hit of sourness will give your soup some extra zing.
3 – Swap water for stock
While you can cook the pumpkin in a little water, using chicken or vegetable stock can add extra depth and make your soup more satisfying. A good homemade chicken or veg stock is best.
Or follow Annie’s suggestion and sweat onion, garlic and spices like cumin and coriander. Top up with water, bring to the boil and simmer to create a sweet, oniony stock, before adding the pumpkin, preferably roasted. If you like a richer soup, stir through a little cream or creme fraiche. For Asian soups try coconut milk or cream.
4 – Use roasted pumpkin
Roasting the pumpkin and other veg gives it that yummy, caramelised flavour that makes it top choice alongside a leg of lamb or chook in the oven.
It’s the way forward if you like a soup that is extra-rich and intense. Toss the cubes of pumpkin, wedges of onion and other veg in oil, throw in a few cloves of garlic (the brown goo can be squeezed out after) and roast at 180C until the edges are darkened.
Then cook for a short time in a little stock before processing.
5– Add spices
A sprinkle of spice added when the onions are softening will send it en route to all manner of destinations. Pumpkin laps up the earthiness of ground cumin that could lead to Indian curry flavours or perhaps the zingier aromas of a Moroccan bazaar. Go for cinnamon and nutmeg and fly the flag for America’s favourite pumpkin pie.
Always season to taste. James suggests going for the subtlety of white pepper.
6– Addprotein from pulses
Channel your inner hippie throw pulses such as lentils or chickpeas into your soup body and substance. Red lentils are perfect with those curry or Middle Eastern spices and will cook in the same time as the veg. Or add some canned cannellini beans to make the soup mellow and extra-silky.
Annie makes a soup with the small, green French du Puy lentils. She sweats onion, garlic, carrot, rosemary and bay leaves, before adding some vegetable stock and the lentils.
Cook gently for 30 minutes, then stir through diced pumpkin. Cook until soft, add a splash of red wine vinegar season to taste.
Take out a couple of ladles, blend until smooth and stir the puree back through.
7– Add croutons or chorizo
Make your wholesome soup just a little bit naughty with little bursts of salty, fatty deliciousness. Add a little paprika to the frying onions at the start and then top the soup with finely chopped chorizo that has been fried until dark and crispy.
Diced bacon is also good — if you want to be truly decadent fry cubes of bread in the rendered bacon fat and scatter over these croutons as well. Or boil up a ham hock to make a meaty stock for the soup base.
8– Add seafood
Make your pumpkin soup deluxe by frying shelled prawns or even scallops and floating them on top of the soup, with a sprinkle of herbs.
This works particularly well with Thai or other Asian flavours. Or play a little role reversal and use the soup as a sauce for a larger serve of protein: chicken with a pistachio stuffing would work a treat, or even a white-fleshed fish.
9– Make it crunchy
Sprinkle over nuts or seeds for the crunchy textural contrast that will keep your soup interesting until the last spoonful. Keep it in the family by using toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or try pretty green pistachios, toasted almond slivers or hazelnuts.
A scattering of dukkah will work well with a Middle Eastern soup or try shredded coconut, toasted to a light tan, with an Asian soup.
10– Dress with fresh herbs
A scattering of herbs at the end will make the soup look and taste fresh. Even better is to put a little in from the start as well.
“If you add it into the cooking you will get a more subtle flavour,” James says. “If you want a bang at the end add it fresh.”
For Asian soups, try coriander, Thai basil and perhaps even Vietnamese mint, James suggests. The subtle anise flavour of tarragon will work well or go for the classic combination of chopped chives with a blob of sour cream.
Frequently asked questions
Can you freeze pumpkin soup
Pumpkin soup is easy to freeze. Simply let the soup cool to room temperature, thentransfer thesoupinto freezer-safe airtight containers. Be sure to leave some room at the top for expansion. For best results, pumpkin soup is best frozen without cream or additions such as croutons. Frozen pumpkin soup will last for 2-3 months if stored correctly.
Is pumpkin soup healthy
Pumpkin is packed with vitamins and minerals,and it’srelatively low in calories. It’s also high in beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A. If made according to a low-fat, low-sugar recipe, pumpkin soup is considered to be healthy.
Ways to serve pumpkin soup
There are several fun and interesting ways to serve pumpkin soup that go beyond the simple ceramic bowl. Ideas include, serving pumpkin soup within the shell of a coconut, inside a cob loaf, or baking a tortilla bowl. For more ideas check out fun ways to serve soup.
Best pumpkin soup recipes:
- Pumpkin soup with chorizo and cannellini beans
- Moroccan pumpkin soup
- Pumpkin soup with hidden treasures
See also:
- Pumpkin soup recipes
- Pumpkin soup, 50 ways
- Our favourite satisfying soups that’ll warm you up from head to toe
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