Every fall I am overwhelmed by a desire to surround myself by pumpkins and winter squashes, one of the most enduring symbols of autumn’s bounty. Every year I make pumpkin soup. Every year Mr. Homesteader eats the soup politely but, I must admit, not that enthusiastically. Knowing his love of exotic flavors, I’ve tried lots of variations: with cinnamon and sweetness, with ginger and curry, with southwestern flavors. It was my most recent rendition of the perennial pumpkin soup, however, that won his heart and had him polishing off his soup in record time. And it was the most basic I’ve ever made. I present it to you here. I know it’s basic, but he really thought it was good!
Pumpkin sizes vary so much and this recipe is so easy that I offer this recipe casually, with no precise measurements. Begin by washing well and whacking in half one eating pumpkin or large winter squash. Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh. Save those seeds, cleaned free of the flesh! Roasted, they’ll make great healthy snacks with lots of good omega-3s. Bake the pumpkin halves in an 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes, depending on size. If you can cover the pumpkin, put just a couple of tablespoons in the cavities where the seeds were located. If baking uncovered, fill each cavity about 2/3 full. After you’ve baked the pumpkin for 10 minutes, add one clove of garlic, unpeeled, to the pan and let it roast with the pumpkin for the remaining 20 minutes.
Scoop the roasted flesh from the skin, letting it cool a bit to make sure you can get every last bit. Cut off the tough end of the roasted garlic and squeeze it into a cooking pot with the pumpkin flesh. Add a splash of chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock and a splash or two of cream and/or milk. Blend everything with a stick blender, in a food processor, or in a stand blender, adding more cream or milk to get a smooth consistency. Season with salt and black pepper. Add a pinch each or so of finely ground cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and rubbed sage. Heat gently and serve.
Does your family eat pumpkin soup? Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe to share that you think Mr. Homesteader would like? He’s mighty adventurous!
Copyright 2010 Ozarkhomesteader. Short excerpts and tweets are fair use, as long as you provide a full URL.
Wow.. this looks very creamy and decadent
Welcome to the blog, Babygirl! Creamy, yes; decadent, no, if you use milk instead of cream. 🙂 I used whole milk in mine. If you used skim, you could make this soup virtually fat free, and it’s so nutritious!
I have never had pumpkin soup but I do love all things pumpkin! I would try it for sure. I don’t think my boys would eat it though..
Do your boys like pumpkin at all? I was really surprised at how quickly Mr. Homesteader ate this version. I can’t remember what else I served, but his soup bowl was empty long before he finished his salad and entree.
I was really hoping to get more than two pumpkins this year so I could try soup. Yours looks so good. As it is, my pumpkins are designated for holiday pies. 🙂 I did mention pumpkin soup to my DH, who gave me a very puzzled look; soup? Out of pumpkin? He’s always willing to try anything I make, so I’m hoping the proof will be in the pudding, er, soup.
The soup can be almost as thick as pudding. I confess that, since my winter squashes are still growing, I bought a few. My surgery last spring and our trip this summer shifted my schedule so much that I’m just praying that I’ll be able to keep my winter squash alive through Dec. 1, which would ensure that they’re fully ripe.
Thanks for sharing and letting me know that it was up. I can’t wait to try it. Good luck with your squash. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
Thanks for the luck for the squash! We’re supposed to hit 25 degrees Thursday night. I’m concerned because it’s supposed to rain a lot on Wednesday and Thursday during the day, and I won’t be home to take care of getting off the water, which can crush the plants.
Let me know what your family thinks of the soup. Like I said, it’s the simplest I’ve ever made.
My mother used to make what I call a sweet pumpkin soup. I think these are the ingredients that she used.. Pumpkin cubed and boiled, milk, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and dumplings. Did you ever hear of a soup like this?
Ohhh, that sounds tasty! What did she put in her dumplings?
I’ve had spicy, savory, and sweet pumpkin soups, including one that sounds like yours. Do you have a recipe or do you need a recipe? Sweet is Mr. Homesteader’s least favorite way to have pumpkin soup, but I could still give it a whirl.