Hate it.
I don’t know what the attraction is. But I don’t hold it against you. I get it. From Canadian Thanksgiving to American Thanksgiving, pumpkin spice is bound to be an obsession for many of my favourite people.
Whether it’s pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin cheesecake, I just cringe while y’all indulge. I’ll even treat you to one at Starbucks – but just leave me to my decaf soy latte and we’ll all get along.
However I’ve got a lot of pumpkin decorations for Halloween that need to be used up and I’ve got my one pumpkin indulgence that I won’t give up. Pumpkin soup. I crave it on the same level and make it until my family begs me to stop. Honestly, you can use any squash to make this, but I do love pumpkin – plus I’m totally addicted to sea-salted roasted pumpkin seeds, so nothing goes to waste!
This soup is SO easy it’s ridiculous. It’s rich and hearty, and perfect as a starter or a meal. It’s the best warm-up on a cool day and makes me sad pumpkins aren’t available all year long.
What you need:
– 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter
– 1 apple, pealed and cored (Mac, Royal Gala or Empire – preferable something soft and sweet)
– 1 medium pumpkin, skinned, cleaned out and cubed/chunked
– 2 to 3 pinches sea salt
– pepper to taste
– 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
– 1 heaping tbsp curry powder
– 1 bay leaf
– 4 cups water or broth (veggie or chicken)
– 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
Garnish: Dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream,
Serve with crusty bread or crispy crackers like Paris Toasts
What you do:
In a big soup pot, melt the butter. Toss in the pumpkin and let it sauté a bit. Add apples, pumpkin, salt, pepper, brown sugar, spices and stir together. Add water (or broth) enough to cover the whole mixture.
Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally. When the pumpkin gets really soft, grab a stick blender (I love my Braun stick blender) and blend it all right in the pot. If you don’t have a stick blender you can use a hand blender, food process or or regular blender, but the beauty of this is that it can be done in one pot without getting other gadgets dirty – plus you need to be extra careful putting hot soup into a blender or food processor. (Yes, I’ve burned myself before.) You can always let the mixture cool and puree it before reheating for serving. But seriously, how do you live without a stick blender? I LOVE mine!
Anyways, get it all blended and let it simmer further. Adjust the seasoning to taste. I like it extra curried, so I add a bit more. I don’t usually add cream, simply because I don’t often have it on hand, but now’s the time to add it. It makes the whole thing extra rich and so yum!
To serve, pour in a bowl and serve with crusty bread or Paris Toast crackers for dipping plus a big scoop of sour cream or Greek yogurt in the middle. The hot/cold thing is sensational and it’s just such a burst of flavour.
See? Who needs a pumpkin spice latte when you’ve got soup!