Dishing Up the Dirt

Roasted Pumpkin & Apple Soup

A mug full of comfort! This simple roasted pumpkin and apple soup will boost your spirits on a gloomy autumn evening. Lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg this is a lovely way to celebrate the flavors of the season. I wasn’t planning on sharing this recipe on the blog because this was a true “throw it together” meal. However, after one bite, I put my mug down and told Taylor to hold tight. I grabbed my camera and took a few mediocre shots of this meal. I wasn’t about to let this one slip under the cracks. Once I was done snapping away I quickly rewarmed my mug and enjoyed this simple soup with my husband. The rain was falling, the wind was blowing and the fire was roaring. We felt like the last two people on earth and it was absolutely wonderful. I love a good mug of soup on a stormy night!

We topped our soup with candied pumpkin seeds (you don’t want those puppies to go to waste after you cut up your pumpkin!) and a dollop of cashew cream that we had left over from last weeks Autumn Beet Soup. If cashew cream isn’t your thing (though if you haven’t tried it I really suggest doing so!) you can drizzle crème fraîche or plain yogurt for a little added creaminess. This soup is simple but each addition–spices, cashew cream and candied pumpkin seeds– add a depth of flavor that ties everything together. Make sure to plan ahead though, because the pumpkin seeds take about an hour to roast before you add your roasted pumpkin to the oven.

Grab a spoon and dig in!

Roasted Pumpkin & Apple Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes    Cook Time: 1 hour    Serves: 4

Candied Pumpkin Seeds
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds (from about one 4 pound sugar pumpkin)
  • 4 tablespoons natural cane sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • tiny pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
Soup
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • one 4 pound sugar pie pumpkin
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 large sweet-tart apples, peeled, cored and cut into large chunks
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • tiny pinch of cayenne (optional)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth + additional to thin if necessary
  • 1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (start with 1 tablespoon and add more if need be)
  • 1/4 cup cashew cream (or crème frîache)
  • salt and pepper to taste
   

Preparation

Prepare the Pumpkin Seeds
  1. Preheat the oven to 250F. Slice your sugar pie pumpkin in half. Scrape out the seeds and remove any excess flesh. Pat the seeds dry and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for one hour, tossing the seeds once or twice while cooking.
  2. In a bowl combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the cumin, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne.
  3. Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook until sugar melts and seeds caramelize, about 45 seconds (don’t take your eye off the pan as this process goes really fast!)
  4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl with the spices and mix well.
Prepare the Soup
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Slice (your already halved pumpkin) into quarters. Drizzle each piece with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Place flesh side down on a prepared baking sheet and roast until fork tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pumpkin slightly cool.
  2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot. Add the onion, apples, garlic and salt and cook, stirring often for about 8 minutes.
  3. While the veggies sauté scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the roasted pumpkin wedges. Add the flesh to the pot along with the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cayenne. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the soup cool for a few moments before carefully transferring to a blender (you may have to do this in batches) and pureeing until smooth and creamy. Alternately, you can use an immersion blender (or stick blender) though the soup wont become as creamy.
  4. Return the soup to the pot and drizzle in the maple syrup and cashew cream. If the soup seems to thick add a touch more broth to thin if necessary. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed. Divide between mugs and serve with candied pumpkin seeds

Notes

*A powerful blender is my choice for pureed soups because it results in a smoother/creamier texture. However, a stick blender is fine too if that's your preferred method. *Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Taste test as you go


Leave a Reply

5 thoughts on “Roasted Pumpkin & Apple Soup

  1. Rachel says:

    This was a really tasty soup! We didn’t do the pumpkin seeds or the cashew cream but it tasted great on it’s own! We served it with some pita bread for dipping. We will definitely be making it again. 🙂

  2. Leslie says:

    We have made this soup twice now and both times it came out great! I usually roast a few sugar pie pumpkins at a time so that I have pumpkin puree in the freezer to make muffins (especially Andrea’s pumpkin almond muffins – yum!). Roasting the seeds adds a nice touch but it’s not necessary to make a great soup. Thanks for another great recipe!

  3. Elizabeth says:

    I made this soup last night to serve as a first course in a Halloween Feast this evening, but I had to taste test it last night and I loved it! I did had a stray sweet potato I had lying around needing used up too, and served it with a swirl of bacon jam and chilli roasted pumpkin seeds. Tonight I’ll be serving it in little cauldron soup bowls with fried sage, crispy bacon and the chilli seeds. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

    1. Andrea says:

      yay! So happy to hear!!

  4. MaeA says:

    Truly delightful. This year will be the second time I make it. Thanks for the recipe.

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