Description
This creamy and comforting Pumpkin Soup combines the earthy flavors of pumpkin and leeks with a subtle sweetness from apple and maple syrup. Enhanced by aromatic herbs like thyme and sage, it’s a perfect warm starter or light meal for fall and winter.
Ingredients
Base
- 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
Main Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin purée
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Flavorings
- 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
Finishing
- ¼ cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Melt the butter in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and chopped garlic, cooking and stirring occasionally until softened and fragrant, approximately 10 minutes.
- Combine main ingredients: Stir in the pumpkin purée, chopped apple, chicken broth, maple syrup, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, chopped thyme, and sage. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let it simmer gently for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Blend the soup: Add the heavy cream, then use a stick blender directly in the pot to purée the soup until completely smooth. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool slightly and blend in batches using a countertop blender, taking care to cover the blender opening with a dishtowel to prevent splatters.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of heavy cream and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves for an added touch of color and flavor.
Notes
- Adjust cayenne pepper quantity to your preferred spice level.
- For a vegan version, substitute butter with olive oil, chicken broth with vegetable broth, and heavy cream with coconut cream or a plant-based alternative.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Using fresh herbs enhances the aroma but dried herbs can be substituted if necessary, using about one-third of the quantity.
- To make the soup even silkier, strain after blending.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmering and Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (approximately 250 ml)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
