Did you know that there are over 300 varieties of pumpkins? The ones we are most familiar with and available for consumption are the Hokkaido pumpkin, butter or nutmeg pumpkin, and kabocha pumpkin. You have to be careful because there are also decorative pumpkins that are not edible (but they are insanely beautiful, especially for Halloween and October in general…). Edible pumpkins are full of calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and various vitamins. They are most often prepared baked, in the form of creams and soups, stews, jams and in the form of pastries. They are distinguished by their beautiful orange color, mild sweetness, rich juicy flesh, and they go well with spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, basil, rosemary and pepper, so they are used in various savory dishes.
When preparing cream soup, they can be boiled in water or baked in the oven, and then blended – the process is very simple, and the result is perfect. Since this is their royal season, it is only fitting that I write a recipe.
Ingredients for pumpkin soup
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 kg pumpkins, peeled, seeded and cut into pieces
- 700 ml of vegetable or chicken broth
- 150 ml of cooking cream
- optional spices: salt, pepper, cinnamon, turmeric, chili, thyme
Simple preparation
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot, then gently fry 2 finely chopped onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the diced pumpkin and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until it begins to soften and turn golden brown. Pour over 700 ml of vegetable or chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until the squash is tender. Pour 150 ml of cooking cream into the pot, bring to a boil again, and then prepare a thick creamy soup with a stick blender or a regular blender. For a velvety consistency, you can pour the soup through a thick strainer. Season to taste, then serve sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs (it’s great if you make them with butter) and seeds and drizzled with more olive or pumpkin oil.
