This creamy pumpkin soup is quick and easy to prepare and perfect to warm you up on crisp fall days.
Ingredients
For the soup:
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, skin removed, finely chopped
2.2 lbs (1 kg) pumpkin or squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks
24 oz (700ml) vegetable stock
*1/4 to ½ pint fresh heavy cream
Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the topping:
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
4 slices whole wheat bread
Toasted sunflower seeds
*If you prefer a healthier or vegan option, you can leave out the heavy cream.
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then cook the onions over medium low heat for 10 minutes or until translucent but not brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin cubes and vegetable stock to the pot, and simmer until the pumpkin chunks are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork; about 10 minutes.
Add ¼ to ½ pint of cream, depending on how strong you like the taste. Remove from heat and puree until homogenous with a handheld immersion blender. Alternatively you can mix in a blender, but let the soup cool before blending in the blender otherwise it will explode out the top. (If I’m in a hurry and the soup is still warm, I blend in small batches with my hand on the top so it doesn’t shoot out.) Return the pureed soup back to the pot and heat on low to warm.
Toast 4 slices of bread and cut into cubes. Dish up the soup into bowls then top with the toasted bread and some toasted sunflower seeds. Buon appetito!
Tip: This is a great recipe to make in advance and reheat or it can be frozen.
Recipe by Italicana Kitchen at https://italicanakitchen.com/creamy-pumpkin-soup/