Flexible Pumpkin: As a soup, it's nothing new, but variations make it special

By: Michael Hastings | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: December 16, 2009

I love pureed vegetable soups at this time of year. They are as warm and comforting as the heartiest stew -- but much lighter. They are also an easy way to eat several servings of vegetables in one meal.

Soups made from winter squash are a natural for chilly nights. In recent years, my wife and I have particularly enjoyed soups made from butternut squash. But this fall, I have been buying fresh pumpkin at the farmers market. Pumpkin, technically a winter squash and cousin to butternut, also makes a wonderful pureed soup.

Of course, pumpkin soup is nothing new. Many are pureed with chicken broth, but variations abound. Ginger, curry, cloves and nutmeg are common seasonings. Some add a little honey, oranges, pears or apples.

I tend to like something that's not plain, but more subtle than a blast of strong flavor that can easily overpower delicate pumpkin.

After making this a few times, I settled on a combination of curry and ginger. I don't use enough of either spice to make them stand out. But a little bit of both adds complexity and interest.

For similar reasons, I augment the pumpkin with some onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Again, I don't go overboard on any one ingredient. I want them all to blend into a seamless whole.

I've found that a dash of cayenne at the end spices things up. And a touch of lemon juice brightens all the flavors without making the soup lemony.

Still, this recipe is flexible. Leave out any of the above ingredients and it will still taste delicious. The soup is hard to ruin, too. Just avoid burning the vegetables at the beginning. And be very careful while pureeing the soup so that it doesn't end up all over the counter and cabinets instead of in the bowl.

I used to stir about ¼ cup of heavy cream into this kind of pureed soup. I rarely do that anymore, but it does make it a bit richer.

A nice variation to this is to add a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup at the end. That much won't sweeten it, but it will smooth out the texture and flavors.

Pumpkin Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 2 teaspoons fresh grated gingerroot)

1 teaspoon curry powder

8 cups (about 2 pounds) fresh peeled, seeded and chopped pumpkin or butternut squash (or two 15-ounce cans of pure pumpkin)

1 to 1½ quarts chicken broth

Dash cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrot and cook, stirring until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Do not allow vegetables to brown. Add garlic, salt, ginger and curry powder. Stir and cook 2 minutes.

2. Stir in pumpkin until combined. Add 1 quart broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Working in batches, carefully puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Fill only about halfway, and watch out for splattering soup and rising steam.

4. Add cayenne and lemon juice. If too thick, add a little broth or water. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

mhastings@wsjournal.com

727-7394