Pumpkin Soup
Inspired by J. Kenji López-Alt - San Mateo, CA
Due to the disaster that is 2020, I almost forgot that Halloween is around the corner. This year I won’t be attending any large parties but still wanted to get in the spirit in the best way I knew how. Pumpkin Pie can get a bit overplayed so I decided to turn to Kenji for some inspiration in the soup department. Homemade soups are fantastic. People that say that don’t like soups have probably only had the stuff out of the can. This stuff is not like that at all. For those that don’t know, pumpkins are a type of winter squash and can be used as such in the kitchen. Like Kenji, I believe you should use a variety here to add more depth. Do so and you’ll be left with a wonderfully sweet and velvety pumpkin soup that will leave you warm and happy on a cold fall day.
Parts of this recipe were adapted from J . Kenji López-Alt’s recipe for “Roasted Pumpkin Soup” from his cookbook The Food Lab. Kenji has worked with several chefs in Boston and New York and currently resides in San Mateo, California where he run Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus.
INGREDIENTS
PUMPKIN SOUP:
3+ lbs whole pumpkins and winter squash (I used kabocha and acorn but sugar and delicata work well too)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 TBS unsalted butter
Half a white onion, thinly sliced (should be about 1-1 ½ cups)
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 cups low sodium chicken stock (vegetable stock can be used to for a vegetarian version)
¼ cup maple syrup
Chives, chopped (for topping - optional)
GO FOR IT
PUMPKIN SOUP:
Preheat oven to 350°F
As oven heats, cut pumpkin and squash in half and remove seeds, the rub with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Using a foil lined baking sheet, place pumpkins and squash skin side down and put in oven for 1 hour (or until it’s a soft as butter when a knife is inserted into the pumpkin and squash insides)
Once ready, remove from oven and allow pumpkin and squash to cool to a point where you can handle it
As squash cools, melt pepper in a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, then add onion and sauté until onion is soft and starts to brown slightly (about 5 minutes)
Add cinnamon and nutmeg and stir in before adding stock and maple syrup
Using a spoon, scoop out pumpkin and squash into pot and break it up with the back of wooden spoon
With everything in the pot, remove from heat
Using an immersion blender (or by transferring to another blender) purée everything
At this point you can add in more water or stock (if necessary) until you reach the consistency you want for your soup (I like mine thick and added very little)
Serve immediately with fresh ground pepper and chopped chives
NOTES:
If you have any intention of making more soups and sauces in your kitchen then I highly recommend investing in an immersion blender. They are not that expensive compared to other items out there and you will save yourself the time and mess that come from transferring things over to a traditional blender. They can also be used for smoothies and anything else you might find them useful for.
Cinnamon and nutmeg are optional here but I think they add some nice depth to the dish. Same goes for the maple syrup. The sweetness will round out everything quite nicely. However, I don’t find it necessary you add any salt here as you will get plenty of flavor from what you already have here. But to each their own. Remember to taste here before serving and add whatever you think would improve your pumpkin soup.