Fall, with its crisp air and vibrant colors, is the perfect time to cozy up and enjoy comfort foods that warm the soul. One such beloved autumnal dish is creamy pumpkin soup, a delightful dish that epitomizes the flavors and spirit of the season. As the leaves change color and the days grow shorter, the autumn breeze carries with it a sense of anticipation for the hearty, comforting meals that await. Among these, creamy pumpkin soup holds a special place. It embodies the essence of fall, combining the earthy sweetness of pumpkins with a blend of aromatic spices. For me, this creamy pumpkin soup recipe is the best in all respects! It`s creamy, sweet, and full of flavors. I really like to add extra protein to this recipe. That’s why I chose frozen shrimp, which are the perfect addition because of their nice sweet notes and light texture. Try to make this pumpkin soup recipe and enjoy the perfect autumn atmosphere in your home.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
- Cook Time: 60 min
- Persons: 4
- Difficulty: Easy
- Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin (about 1 1/2 kg, Hokkaido pumpkin is the best choice)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 30 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 800 ml vegetable broth
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 15 g butter
- 3 g nutmeg
- 250 g frozen shrimp (optional)
- 20 g hazelnut, toasted and crushed
- salt
- pepper
- Instructions
- First thing first, we need to make pumpkin puree. The best way to make it super flavourful and sweet is to oven-bake our pumpkin. Preheat oven to 190ºC. Cut the pumpkin in half and scrape all the insides. You can bake the half or cut it into smaller pieces so it will be ready sooner. You can peel the pumpkin before baking or leave it as it is. Cut a whole garlic head in half and add to the baking tray alongside the pumpkin. Add rosemary and splash the pumpkin with a generous amount of olive oil. Bake pumpkin until soft and tender (about 30-40 min), checking with a knife.
- Transfer the baked pumpkin flesh to a bowl, scraping the flesh with a fork or spoon. Squash the pumpkin in a bowl to make a puree-like texture. In a small separate bowl, squash the baked garlic without skin, just flesh.
- In a medium-sized pot, cook the onion with olive oil until translucent. Then add baked garlic, pumpkin puree, and grated parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- Add the hot stock to the pot and bring all the ingredients to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for 10-12 min.
- Stir in the heavy cream.
- Take off the heat and blend all with a hand blender.
- Put back on the heat and add the frozen shrimp. Bring it to the boil and take off the heat. Enjoy!
My tips for the best creamy pumpkin soup
* Baking the pumpkin instead of boiling it makes all the difference. In the process of baking, sugars that are in a pumpkin start to caramelize, giving it that earthiness and sweetness. That is why, alongside pumpkin, we are roasting garlic. The flavor of baked garlic is unbeatable.
* For extra flavor and protein, I like to add frozen shrimp to this recipe. Shrimps and pumpkin are great together, but if you don`t like them, you can substitute shrimp with shredded chicken (cooked) or leave the pumpkin alone for a more natural pumpkin flavor.
* Please!!! Don`t forget to add nutmeg. This flavor is so important in combination with parmesan cheese and roasted garlic.
* I also like to add a little bit of crunch to this dish by adding toasted crushed hazelnuts on top of the soup before serving it. Please, add a hazelnut if you can eat it and you have it. Don`t substitute with other nuts. Hazelnut is the perfect match with pumpkin. Believe me! As an alternative crunchy element, you can add roasted pumpkin seeds!
