Description
Rich and comforting smoky autumn pumpkin soup embodies seasonal warmth with creamy textures and deep spice notes. Hearty ingredients blend seamlessly, offering serious home cooks a simple yet sophisticated culinary experience you’ll savor deeply.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 5 pounds sugar pumpkins
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream
Aromatics and Spices:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2–3 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
- Pepitas for garnish
Instructions
- Halve the pumpkin and scoop out seeds, placing cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast at 350°F for 45-60 minutes until flesh becomes tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- In a large pot, melt butter and sauté diced onions until translucent. Add minced garlic, smoked paprika, and ground cinnamon, stirring for 1-2 minutes to release aromatic flavors.
- Transfer roasted pumpkin flesh into the pot, combining with chopped apple, vegetable broth, water, fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Stir ingredients thoroughly.
- Simmer the mixture on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, allowing apples to soften and flavors to meld together.
- Remove bay leaves, then carefully puree the soup using an immersion blender or standard blender until completely smooth and creamy.
- Gently stir in heavy cream and milk, warming the soup without boiling. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls, garnishing with toasted pepitas and a light dusting of smoked paprika for an extra layer of depth and crunch.
Notes
- Maximize flavor by choosing sugar pumpkins or butternut squash for a sweeter, richer taste profile.
- Enhance roasting by drizzling olive oil and sprinkling salt before baking to intensify caramelization and depth.
- Create a vegan version by substituting dairy milk with coconut or almond milk and using plant-based butter alternative.
- Elevate texture by using an immersion blender for ultra-smooth consistency without transferring hot soup between containers.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 60mg