Pumpkin Soup
Once you have your pumpkin ready, it's time to make the soup. The photos numbered here correspond to the steps below.
Ingrédients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
- 1 large leek (or 2 small leeks), white and green parts only, cut lengthwise into small pieces, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly
- 4 cups of chicken broth or use the same quantity (4 cups) of coconut milk(for vegan pumpkin soup)
- 1 to 2 cups of water
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- medium sized potato peeled and cut into small cubes for a creamier texture optional (for creamy and fluffy texture)
Instructions
- Place the peeled, seeded and chopped pumpkin pieces in a large glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the leek and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Reserve the liquid from the pumpkin that comes. Add the pumpkin to the pan with the leek and cook until a brown color (be careful not to burn it) forms at the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broth and scrape the bottom to remove any brown bits (that's all the flavor!). Add the thyme, bay leaves, cayenne pepper and pumpkin liquid and bring to a boil. Simmer until leeks are completely tender, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and thyme. Blend the soup in a high speed blender or with an immersion blender. Add water, 1/2 cup at a time, to thin the soup to the desired consistency.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy it!
Notes
- I highly recommend using a fresh cut pumpkin yourself instead of a pre-cut pumpkin. It really makes a big difference! Cutting the pumpkin is easy!
Caramelizing the squash before adding the liquid is an important step in maximizing the flavor of the squash. Just be careful not to burn the caramelized pieces. If this starts to happen, you can add a little broth and discard the bottom of the pot. This soup freezes very well! Refrigerate the soup in the refrigerator before transferring it to a freezer for longer storage. Frozen pumpkin soup can last up to 6 months.