Pumpkin Soup

How to make pumpkin soup

Prepare chicken broth and let it cool. Then, cut the pumpkin, put it on a baking sheet, and send it to the oven at a temperature of 250 degrees until completely softened. Add baked pumpkin and chicken broth to the frying pan with roasted chopped garlic and onion, mix all ingredients and simmer them. Remove from the heat and wait a few minutes for it to cool to the optimal temperature. Then blend it until the mixture becomes homogeneous. Add coconut milk or whipping cream to make the consistency more creamy, and mix well with a blender one more time. Add spices and pour soup into a bowl. Decorate the pumpkin soup with pepita seeds or fresh herbs.

We use a fresh pumpkin for this recipe and bake it in the oven. But you can make blanks in advance: cook a puree of pumpkin and put it in the fridge the day before. Canned pumpkin is also suitable for this recipe if you don't have much time. 

What goes with pumpkin soup

Pumpkin soup, on its own, has a neutral flavor so that it can be served with different spices, sides and toppings. Here are some great ideas to diversify the original pumpkin taste:

• Bread. Especially good if you can serve the soup with bread covered with a delicious crispy crust. Experiment with different types of bread with additives: olives, seeds, and onions.
• Croutons. Crispy roasted pieces of bread, which you can dip into the soup.
• Grating cheese. Combine with parmesan, cheddar, or even gorgonzola. 
• Slice of lemon. Not just for decoration but also additional delicate acidic notes.
• Seeds. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or sesame seeds are well combined with the creamy texture of pumpkin soup. It is better to roast seeds before sprinkling them in your soup.
• Nuts. Choose almonds, peanuts, pecans, or walnuts. You can serve the soup with the whole nut kernel or blended ones.
• Fresh herbs. The green color of parsley or basil blends well with the orange color. Additionally, they will give a spring-light aroma to the soup. 

How to make pumpkin soup creamy

There are several methods to make your pumpkin soup creamy. 

• Choose cream. The cream can thicken the soup and counterbalance the acidity as well. You can choose low-whipped cream or high-calorie to make the soup thicker.
• Add coconut milk. Coconut milk perfectly combines with many dishes, and the soup is not an exception. It is a dairy-free method to add creamy and smooth texture. But please note: coconut milk gives a specific hint of sweetness and a coconut flavor, which is not competing with spices. 
• Mix pumpkin with greek yogurt. Yogurt in contrast with cream is more low-calorie, so it can be a good choice if you want to make your soup more dietary for weight loss.
• Cook with flour or cornstarch. If you don't like the milky taste, use flour or cornstarch as a thickener; they don't change the taste of the soup.