Pumpkin Vegetable Soup

An earthy & hearty meal in a bowl, with a zing of ginger  

I bought a cute little pumpkin from a local farmer (see photo above) and then picked up 3 more at my sons’ school fall festival. Now I need to figure out how best to use them... I’m reminded of one of my family’s favorite books about Halloween – The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis. Two brothers find and loose a HUGE pumpkin from its vine on a steep, steep hill. It proceeds to roll and bump (and mow down) a couple family members who are too slow to get out of the way, distracted as they are by thoughts of what Granny will make out of the pumpkin – pie, soup, or bread? The rhyming story has a melodic, repeating refrain that is so very fun to read aloud: “…came that thumpety, bumpety, thumpin’, bumpin’, round and roll-y runaway pumpkin!” Irresistable.

So, I’m going to make soup first. Since my pumpkins are still on display, I’m going to cheat and use canned puree. But you can use fresh if you have it. I’ll experiment with roasting and pureeing later in the season.

Before my sister introduced me to this vegetable soup, a decade ago, I really only thought about pumpkin for Thanksgiving pie. And the occasional seasonal muffin. But after opening the door to savory possibilities, now I really enjoy experimenting with different spices and flavors and using pumpkin in its veggy, squash state.

For this particular soup, I do use some pie spices, however I don’t sweeten the pumpkin. I find the sweetness of the carrots, corn, and sweet potatoes are a great complement to the earthiness of the squash. And the distinct color of the pumpkin really comes through in the broth. This is a chunky, hearty soup that easily shines as the main course. Feel free to complement it with a salad and/or cornbread. I did serve it once as a starter on Thanksgiving Day and found it to be a bit too filling, since we had turkey and all the fixings. It could be a great addition if you’re planning on a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast. I like making it to go with Thanksgiving leftovers instead – serve it with a turkey sandwich or throw some chopped turkey and celery slices into the broth.

(Adapted from a recipe for Harvest Pumpkin Soup, given me by my sister - Thanks, Beth!)

 

Pumpkin Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

½ red onion, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree or 1-15oz can

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground allspice

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 cups broth*

2 yukon gold potatoes, finely diced

1 sweet potato, finely diced

~1/2 lb of baby carrots, sliced

1 14oz can of kernel corn (or 2 cups frozen)

Several cranks of black peppermill

*NOTES: For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth. I use Celefibr™ bouillon cubes, which are both vegetarian and gluten-free; either the chicken flavor or the vegetable medley works well for this soup. For a non-vegetarian version, use chicken broth.*

Directions:

1. Saute onion in olive oil. Add pumpkin, garlic, and spices. Stir with wooden spoon.
2. Dilute pumpkin mixture with the broth. Stir until smooth.
3. Bring up to boil, then add in potatoes and carrots.
4. Add in corn (with liquid if using canned corn.) Simmer for 30-40 minutes, until veggies are fork tender. Add salt/pepper to taste, if desired. Black pepper recommended.

Optional Creamy Variation – my sister Beth sautés her onion in butter and adds 1 Tbsp of sugar to the pumpkin puree and only a ½ tsp of paprika. She leaves out the sweet potato. She adds in ½ cup of cream at the very end, right before serving.

ALLERGEN INFO: contains corn; creamy variation contains dairy

ALLERGY ACCOMMODATIONS: omit corn, could replace with finely diced parsnip or other sweet vegetable; omit dairy, can leave out entirely or replace butter with margarine and cream with coconut milk