By Jeff Schwarz and Greg Kessler
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(221)
- Notes
- Read community notes
For cooking, forget the giant pumpkins that are meant for life as jack o’lanterns. The flat, lesser known heirloom variety called the Long Island cheese pumpkin is the prizewinner. This sweet, beige pumpkin gets its name from its resemblance to a wheel of cheese. Making pumpkin soup is a go-to way to prepare the fruit. As with any soup, the key is the quality of stock used. It should add flavor, but not too much or it will eclipse the taste of the pumpkin. Vegetable stock is the best choice here. Roasting the pumpkin with the seeds intact (except for a handful to be used as garnish) intensifies the flavor and adds a slight nuttiness to the soup. Adding sage and some raw apple brings aroma and acidity to the recipe. Finish with pumpkin oil for added richness.
Featured in: Visiting the Source | A Chef in the Field: Pumpkins
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Ingredients
Yield:4-6 servings
- 1cheese pumpkin, cut in half from stem to bottom
- 2carrots, peeled
- 1medium onion
- 6cups vegetable stock
- 12sage leaves
- 1cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2apples, peeled and halved, cores removed, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
419 calories; 41 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 30 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 884 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step
2
Remove about 1 cup of seeds from the pumpkin halves. Clean off any pumpkin meat from the seeds before setting them aside.
Step
3
Rub the pumpkin halves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place them seed side down on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil. Cook in the oven for about 50 minutes or until a sharp knife easily pierces the skin and flesh.
Step
4
Meanwhile, cut the carrots and onion into a medium dice and sauté them in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over low heat until tender. Set aside.
Step
5
Heat 1 cup of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to simmer, add 3 to 4 sage leaves at a time, frying them for about 6 to 8 seconds each. Remove the leaves with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Continue this process until all the sage is fried. Turn off the heat.
Step
6
Immediately place the reserved pumpkin seeds in the leftover, sage-infused oil, for about 20 seconds or until they begin to brown. Pour the contents of the pan into a metal strainer set over a metal bowl.
Step
7
Place the seeds on a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt. Set the oil aside to cool.
Step
8
When the pumpkin is cooked, remove it from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then remove and discard any seeds from the flesh.
Step
9
Scoop out the pumpkin meat from one pumpkin half and place it in a blender. Add half of the cooled carrots and onions, and one chopped apple to the blender. Add vegetable stock to the ¾ mark on the blender and close the lid. Blend on low, then gradually increase the speed as the ingredients combine. Pour the contents into a large pot or bowl. Repeat with the remaining sautéed carrots and onions, chopped apple and vegetable stock.
Step
10
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step
11
To serve: ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with pumpkin seeds, 2 to 3 sage leaves and a drizzle of the reserved pumpkin-sage oil.
Ratings
4
out of 5
221
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Shelley
There is a pretty big variation in pumpkin sizes, even in the smaller cheese variety. Some guidance for weight/volume would be helpful
Dee
Made this for Thanksgiving first course using last haul from my CSA. I probably used more squash to apple as my apples were really sweet. And a well flavored vegetarian bouillon. Soup was very tasty but skip the seeds. They do not get crunchy in 20 seconds and I even tried cooking them for about 5 minutes. They were hard to chew and not worth it. The fried sage on the other hand is essential, as is the drizzle of oil. If you want that bit of crunch I'd suggest getting pepitas and frying those.
Linda
To me the soup was really bland. Agree about the pumpkin seeds you have to cook them a lot longer. I added a bunch of sage and ginger and paprika to give it some punch. Probably won’t make this one again.
Pumpkin Seeds
Instead of frying your seeds roast them with the pumpkin. Roast them with the pumpkin at 350 for 40 minutes. Add the oil and salt and roast them again for 10 minutes or so. They are crunchier and less oily. I like adding a little smoked paprika to mine as well. Cheers!
Dan Martineau
Good "core recipe" and nice flavor with almost too much acidity for the amount of pumpkin on hand. Threw in a large sprig of sage and extra pepper for balance. That said, this cries out for adding ancho or Chipotle Chile powder for a nice smoky zing. Maybe finish with a nice piece of dark cacao!
Gwen Gottlieb
Made this tonight with a L.I. Cheese pumpkin I grew from Hudson Valley seeds. Holy cow was it amazing. I had a rather large pumpkin and decided to put all the ingredients in a large pot and immersion-blend it instead. Added the 2 raw apples. Great acidity. But I needed a little more due to the amount of pumpkin I had. I squeezed a half of a lemon and it brightened it perfectly. The flavor is so balanced, it’s somewhere between a butternut squash and a pumpkin. Its going on the thanksgiving menu!
Chloé
I made this but subbed two medium-sized acorn squash and a handful of small beets for the pumpkin. Still super tasty! Served with some crusty cheesy bread in addition to the sage and seeds. I roasted the seeds in the oven at 350 for 15 mins instead of frying them. This turned out well.
Jake
I cook extensively from NYTimes Cooking and this is the most bland, flavorless recipe I have made. I am very disappointed with the outcome of this recipe. Save yourself the hassle and just water down a can of pumpkin.
Dana
Would be nice to know what size pumpkin to use...
Monica
Very lovely. Easy to make. A refined pumpkin taste.
Shelley
There is a pretty big variation in pumpkin sizes, even in the smaller cheese variety. Some guidance for weight/volume would be helpful
Dee
Made this for Thanksgiving first course using last haul from my CSA. I probably used more squash to apple as my apples were really sweet. And a well flavored vegetarian bouillon. Soup was very tasty but skip the seeds. They do not get crunchy in 20 seconds and I even tried cooking them for about 5 minutes. They were hard to chew and not worth it. The fried sage on the other hand is essential, as is the drizzle of oil. If you want that bit of crunch I'd suggest getting pepitas and frying those.
Karin C
Exactly my experience re: the seeds. Tried but discarded them right away. The rest is perfect
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