Roasted pumpkin soup

Roasted pumpkin soup

I made a roasted pumpkin soup from this Martha Stewart recipe the other night with a sugar pie pumpkin, and it turned out great, so I wanted to make another batch. But I spied another pumpkin soup recipe from Martha Stewart that seemed intriguing because it also uses the innards and seeds to make a pumpkin stock for the soup. However, the rest of the recipe seemed a bit overly complicated and I really liked the simplicity of the original recipe, so I sort of combined the two and made a very tasty soup. It was a perfect meal for a crisp fall day!

Happy Halloween!I learned something the other day: Long Island Cheese and Butternut Squash are varieties of the same squash, Cucurbita moschata. I picked up a Long Island Cheese squash for Halloween and found that tidbit of info in the process of looking up what kind of recipes are best for it. Also, this variety is apparently highly preferred for making pumpkin pies. It is more dense, less stringy, sweeter and has more nutrients than sugar pumpkins. And, since I had one, I decided to try using the Long Island Cheese squash for this soup.

 

What you’ll need for this recipe:

  • a 2-3 lb sugar pumpkin or butternut squash, halved, seeds and stringy fibers removed and reserved
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 large or 6 small shiitake mushroom caps (optional)
  • 2 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • olive oil for roasting
  • salt and pepper

Roasted pumpkin soup

Preheat your oven to 425F and get your veggies ready for roasting. I found it easier to cut the pumpkin into big chunks and throw them in a big bowl with the onions and garlic, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and then spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure your pumpkin is skin side down, or they will get too brown. Put the baking sheet into the oven for 30 minutes (or until the pumpkin is soft) and turn the onions and garlic halfway through. When they are done, scoop out the pumpkin from the skins and add all the veggies to the stock.

Roasted pumpkin soup

While the veggies are roasting, you can make the pumpkin stock. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the reserved seeds and fibers from the pumpkin and cook for 4 minutes. At this point I also threw in a handful of small shiitake mushrooms. Add your veggie or chicken stock, water, and a little salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes and then strain. Make sure you save the mushrooms for the soup!

Roasted pumpkin soup

So, at this point you should have your roasted veggies and your stock all together in a saucepan or stock pot. Heat over medium and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Bring soup just to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and add a pat of butter, or a little sour cream if you prefer a richer soup.

We served this with some sliced italian chicken sausage and a toasted herb roll the first night we made it. This time, we had it for lunch and only added a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, which just added that bit of tanginess to balance the sweetness of the pumpkin.

 

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