Servings: Makes one 9- or 10-inch cake, serving 12
Total Time: 2 Hours
When we think of pumpkin recipes, we usually think of autumn sweets, like pumpkin bread, but pumpkin’s earthy flavor is wonderful in savory dishes, too. This velvety pumpkin soup recipe, courtesy of Jenn Segal at Once Upon a Chef, is flavored with leeks, apples, and maple syrup, so it has those sweet undertones that work so well in squash soups, but smoky cumin and spicy cayenne pepper balance out the flavor. If it sounds like an unusual combination, have faith—one reader wrote that it was one of the best soup recipes she’s tried in 53 years of marriage!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2½ pounds leeks, white and light green parts only, washed well and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin purée
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- ¼ cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
How to make a Pumpkin Soup
- Melt the butter in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin, apple, broth, maple syrup, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, thyme and sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes more.
- Add the heavy cream. Use a stick blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly and use a blender to purée in batches. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters.) Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of cream (see note below) and fresh thyme leaves, if desired.
Note: To add a swirl of cream that floats on top of the soup, whip a few tablespoons of cream with a whisk until ever so slightly thickened. Then use a teaspoon to drizzle and swirl the cream over the soup.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.
Photo by Johnny Miller, Clarkson Potter 2021, courtesy of Once Upon a Chef
