Pumpkin Soup

26/03/2012 30 Comments
Autumn is moving in, bringing with it cooler temperatures and increasingly red-tinted vines crawling up iron-balconied Victorian homes. 
The new season also brings closer our two big events of the year – the settlement of our new apartment (this Thursday!) and of course, our June wedding overseas. As the renovation start date and continued wedding planning take up quite a bit of our creative time, I’m reaching into my recipe bank for simple but healthy, seasonal meals to make.
I was quite happy to stumble on this recipe for pumpkin soup while checking out my match for this month’s Secret Recipe Club – Erin from Easy Everyday Eats. We often get plump butternut or Queensland Blue pumpkins in our CSA or from the family farm, and love the silken soup that results from a quick saute, splash of stock and drop of cream. 
Erin’s recipe and mine only have a few differences – whereas she uses thyme, I use nutmeg. I also use canola (instead of butter) to keep it light, and toss in a few carrots. We both garnish with earthy sage, and both love the warm simplicity of this anytime soup.

If butternut isn’t in season or readily available, use any other pumpkin or hard squash you can get your hands on. I’m sure Erin and I would both agree that the results are not to be missed.


PUMPKIN SOUP
Adapted slightly from Easy Everyday Eats

Provisions:
1/2 large pumpkin, like butternut or Queensland Blue (approx 4 cups chopped)
2 carrots
1 large shallot, diced
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup light cooking cream
Pinch dried thyme
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Black pepper, to taste
Fresh sage leaves, for garnish
Drop of canola oil, for frying

Method:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat a small amount of canola oil (or butter) and gently sauté the shallots until fragrant and translucent. Meanwhile, peel and chop the pumpkin and carrots into large bite-size pieces. Add the pumpkin and carrots to the shallots, along with the thyme and black pepper, and sauté together 3-4 minutes.

Add enough stock to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer 15 minutes until the pumpkin and carrots are fork-tender.

Puree the vegetables and stock with a stick or standing blender until smooth. Stir in the light cream and nutmeg. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with toasted soldiers, and garnished with fresh sage.

Audio pairing: Junip, “Always”

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  • http://twitter.com/RosasYummyYums Rosa May

    A delicious soup! Very comforting and wonderfully flavored.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  • http://www.anhsfoodblog.com/ anh

    adding nutmeg to the soup would be fab! Lovely recipe.

  • http://zaiqa.net/ Mona

    Dont know how I missed your blog, but glad to discover it today!

  • Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy

    Nothing like a great big bowl of pumpkin soup. Yum, you have made me a little glad it is getting colder…

  • Kelsey @ K&K Test Kitchen

    This sounds lovely!

  • http://wayfaringchocolate.com/ Hannah

    Nothing like a perfectly smooth and silky pumpkin soup for the cooler Autumn nights. This looks lovely, and oh what an exciting year you have ahead :)

  • Loveforfood

    I love your photos and your recipes they want me to get up right now and try them

  • http://theindolentcook.blogspot.com/ leaf (the indolent cook)

    It’s been such a long time since I made pumpkin soup. Love how prettily you styled yours!

  • Lindsay (lifeandkitchen)

    This looks divine!

  • http://debbidoesdinnerhealthy.blogspot.com/ Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

    I’ve done this with squash but not pumpkin, it sounds awesome on a cool night!

  • http://www.fearlesshomemaker.com/ amy donovan

    i love love love pumpkin soup + yours looks absolutely delicious. + your picture turned out lovely! glad to meet you through the SRC – i’m a fellow group D’er! =)

  • http://www.dailydishrecipes.com/ Nicole

    Mmm… this looks absolutely fantastic. I love pumpkin soup – what a perfect SRC recipe.

  • http://imoshungree.blogspot.com/ Ashley

    Isn’t it funny how something as simple as pumpkin soup can have so many variations! My mum’s version has curry powder in it and she tried adding some peanut butter into it after watching someone else make it on a tv show…and it was just great! Your pictures look so lovely and warming! 

  • Kristen

    I love how blogging makes the world smaller.  I started reading this post with your reference to fall, then I had to read the date to make sure this was current and then a light bulb went on and I realized you were in the Southern hemisphere.  How cool is that?!  And sorry, that I am so slow on the uptake.   Your soup sounds so fabulous that I am a little sad that I will have to wait a few months before I see any pumpkins in the stores!

  • http://theshadypine.blogspot.com.au/ Anna @ the shady pine

    This looks a delicious pumpkin soup…a great start to the Autumn season!

  • Kristy Gardner

    as i just said @ veggiewiz (who also cooked with pumpkin this SRC round):

    aw! the last time i went to make something with pumpkin I went to gather my
    little pumpkin from storage and either age or moisture or something got
    at it and it was entirely concave on one side and rotted through i’ll just have to live through you, I guess…

    Happy (belated) SRC reveal day!
     
    P.S. i adore squash and you’ve done an excellent job here! mmmmm soup!

  • http://veggiewiz.in/ Apeksha

    What a coincidence that I also used pumpkin for my SRC post this month! :) I love pumpkin….and that soup looks gorgeous!

  • Danielle Depietro

    I love your recipe’s. Your pumpkin soup would be so good right now, I am in a cold uni classroom. I use mostly the same ingredients except I use less carrot and add sweet potato :)  

  • http://iamahoneybee.com/ nicole @ I am a Honey Bee

    lovely soup. looks fantastic!

  • Gerry @ Foodness Gracious

    Sounds like a great soup and love the pics. It’s so trippy to hear you talk about autumn when summer hasn’t even kicked in here…
    Take care..

  • awfullyfrench

    This is so adorable. I love how you take pictures of your recipes. It’s always colorful and quaint, a real feast for the eyes (and hypothetically, for my taste buds as well ^^’)
    Spring is kicking in around here so we’ll both have very different recipes to show… for the best!
    Take care! xxx

  • http://www.wanderingspice.com/ Yasmeen

    Thanks Nicole! Glad you liked the green beans, too.

  • http://www.wanderingspice.com/ Yasmeen

    Sweet potato would be awesome. Great idea.

  • http://www.wanderingspice.com/ Yasmeen

    Oh no – I keep mine on the counter and as yet haven’t had any problems with them. Maybe try that? Thanks, too :)

  • http://www.wanderingspice.com/ Yasmeen

    It does make the world smaller. I moved hemispheres 2 years ago, and sometimes even I still get things mixed up!

  • http://www.wanderingspice.com/ Yasmeen

    Thanks!

  • http://www.wanderingspice.com/ Yasmeen

    Glad you found me, Mona! I grew up eating Indian cuisine and love it, so I’m glad to have found you in return.

  • http://www.simplyreem.com/ Reem I Simply Reem

    Beautiful Recipe and Gorgeous Pictures…
    Thanks for sharing this deliciousness.

  • Kelley

    GREAT picture!  We just launched the all new seasonalpoluck.com and I’d love if you would check it out! April is peas month, so if you have any great pea recipes, join the fun and link up! We’d love to have you.

  • Coffee and Crumpets

    Love the vibrant colour! I guess in the US it’s known as butternut squash, I don’t make the soup too often but I love it roasted or made into a vegetarian lasagne. It’s spring in Colorado so we’re slowly moving away from our squashes and pumpkins to spring vegetables. Our Farmer’s Markets start this week! Looking forward to visiting them. Love your photographs!