Roasted Pumpkin Soup
I wasn’t sure on whether the world needed another pumpkin soup recipe. While it’s my favourite of the season, it’s also become a little ubiquitous in the past few years. Probably because it’s endlessly versatile and oh so comforting to eat.
Every fall I like to experiment with this soup: a dash of curry here, a sprinkle of chilli there but last week, it finally happened. I found THE ONE. The best pumpkin soup I’d ever tasted. And naturally, I had to come straight here and share it with you.
Roasting the pumpkins is the secret to unlocking their full potential. The oven transforms their natural sugars, giving the soup a depth of flavor that canned alternatives can't match. As the pumpkins caramelize and soften, your kitchen will be filled with a warmth that perfectly mirrors the autumnal hues outside your window.
The garlic that is roasting at the same time brings incredible umami, while the dash of maple at the end rounds up the flavours beautifully with sweetness.
The toppings are in a league of their own: crisp bacon and sage leaves, buttery chestnuts. This soup is as luxurious as it is delicious, all that without even a dash of cream. If you skip the bacon and roast the chestnuts in olive oil, it can even be vegan!
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Ingredients (serves 6)
1 1 kg (2 lbs) pumpkin - butternut squash or hokkaido would work well here, as you don’t have to peel them - cut into quarters and deseeded
2 garlic cloves, skin on
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 cube vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped
To finish
12 cooked chestnuts (if you can find them roasted instead of steamed, even better!)
6-12 strips of thin bacon (measure with your heart)
24 sage leaves
knob of butter
pumpkin oil, to drizzle
Start by roasting the pumpkin. Pre-heat your oven at 200 degrees Celsius, fan. Sprinkle the squash wedges with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil. Nestle the garlic cloves amongst the pumpkin.
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or so, until deeply golden and caramelised, the garlic should also be completely softened.
In a large pot sauté the chopped onion until softened. Add the squash and peeled roasted garlic. Add the vegetable stock cube and cover with water (about 1 liter/4 cups). Bring to a low boil.
With a hand blender, blend the soup (you can also do this in batches in a standing blender). Taste and add nutmeg, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Season to perfection.
When ready to serve, heat a pan on a medium heat. Fry the bacon, remove to a paper lined with paper towels. Add the knob of butter and fry the sage leaves. Remove to a paper towel. Add the chestnuts and roast until deeply golden.
Serve the piping hot soup topped with bacon, chestnuts and sage leaves. Tiniest of drizzle of pumpkin oil for that gorgeous green hue.
Enjoy! xx