I love pumpkin picking. I love the sense of a community harvest. I love that it marks the official start of Autumn. I love the sheer excitement of every busy pumpkin seeker and onlooker, big and small, young and old. I love the unmistakable look of joy and accomplishment when the perfect pumpkin is found. I love the hayrides. I love the hot apple cider. I love the shades of orange strewn across the patch. But, most of all, I love pumpkin picking because it means: pumpkin soup.
This pumpkin soup comes together in a snap and oozes of fall flavors and aromas. Nutty, spicy, wholesome goodness that tastes like it’s been simmering away for days. Except it’s only been 30 minutes. One whiff and you know you’re well on your way to a cozy evening of warm and delicious nourishment – preferably in front of a roaring fire. Slurp away.
Not a bad way to end a day of harvesting at the pumpkin patch.
PUMPKIN PATCH SOUP
Tweaked from Bon Appétit, yields 8 servings
Look for the cute, smaller “sugar” pumpkins for cooking and save the big momma ones for your jack-o’-lanterns.
Music Pairing: Perfect, Smashing Pumpkins (love, love, love this song)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 small potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- large pinch of cayenne
- large pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 6 cups pumpkin, seeded, peeled and chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- splash of milk
Method
Melt butter over medium-high heat in a 4-6 quart dutch oven. Add carrot, potato, onion, garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, 4-5 minutes. Add pumpkin, spices, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, 30 to 40 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
Working in small batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Be careful to keep the lid tightly fitted! Return soup to pot. Stir in maple syrup, brown sugar and milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Just before serving, return soup to pot and reheat over low heat. Ladle soup into bowls and top each with a dollop of sour cream and splash of tobasco (optional).
OMW………..you make my heart flutter with joy. What amazing photos….forget the soup, I’m blessed and full with looking!
wow, i love all the photos…poka face.
Did I mention I also spent this weekend picking pumpkins, forgot to say that and wonder over the astonishing variety of pumpkins that exist. Talk for another day
hi kitchen butterfly – ’tis the season, isn’t it? pumpkins are remarkable critters…their size, variety, color!
Oh wow, such beautiful photos. I love butternut squash, but for some strange reason have never been as much of a fan of pumpkin. Maybe this soup will change my mind!
was that really you or did you make that nostalgic, vintage effect on those photos…beautiful!
hi ravenouscouple – oh, i wish that was me as a little girl frolicking in the patch!
So hearty!
Who needs Gourmet magazine? Your photos are the best!
hi vegetable matter – that may be THE nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! :)
my day has already been lightened when i saw your beautiful pictures. then i saw your soup, OMG……i’m totally speechless!
Your photos and design are stunning. Your recipe caught my eye because I’m cooking pumpkin every day for 31 days straight. I love the way you styled your pumpkin soup photo. Gorgeous. -Amy
hi amy – wow…31 days straight. and i thought i had a lot of pumpkins to tend to!
wow gorgeous photo;s delicious recipe! awesome post as usual :)
lovely lovely lovely! I will like to visit a pumpkin patch one day :)
Lovely pictures of the pumpkins…and the soup looks delicious with all the spice in it :-)
Love your pictures and the soup sounds wonderful!
I was drawn into this post with the title, as I love pumpkin soup…what a treat to find the shades of orange displayed in your pumpkin pictures—very nice post.
Beautiful! I love the combination of what I think are iPhone shots and digital camera shots? Lovely. We had a bit of snow in VT yesterday, but now we are back to gorgeous autumn again. I think it’s time to carve some pumpkins and maybe even try your soup, (I wonder if mine could ever look as pretty?). I will definitely be cranking some Smashing Pumpkins for that. ;)
Michaela
hi the gardener’s eden – actually i’m probably one of the few lonely ones left in this world yet to have an iphone! here’s to smashing pumpkins – played again and again!
My goodness, but this looks lovely. That set of photo strips of the pumpkins? I could stare at it all day. And for the record, pumpkin soup may be one of my favorite things to eat ever.
This looks great and I have absolutely nothing to add to your musical pairing, that was my first response when I started to read the post before I even got to your suggestion.
hi steve – really??? nothing??!?! finally….i have stumped the d.j. master himself!
I’m curious which patch you went to. We took our boys to Issaquah and loved the little patch there. It’s actually a tree farm, but they do pumpkins in the fall. They had a tractor, a jumpy house (both necessities for an almost 5 year old and a 2.5 year old) and a very scenic field of pumpkins. Love the look of that soup!
hi dana – the pumpkin patch is on bainbridge…about 10 minutes from our house. the tree farm in issaquah sounds idyllic, turned pumpkin patch!
This is lovely, you capture the mood of Fall perfectly and I’m completely in love with the concept of pumpkin soup even if we don’t make it often. Beautiful pics!
Awesome photos. I would like your pumpkin patch soup. So full of flavor and pumpkin goodness.
What a beautiful way to spend the day! Fabulous photos from the pumpkin fields, the autumn colours are gorgeous. Enjoy the pumpkin soup season :o)
I really like the look of this recipe. Seems like you got a really creamy soup without having to add a gallon of cream! Your photos are beautiful too :)
a truly warming and creamy soup, I love looking at these photos as well!
Beautiful photos and the soup sounds wonderful.
So excited to visit your site and live vicariously through your photos…. what an adventure!
great great great images! wonderful calm recipe.. love the emotion it evokes.
nice site! will be back
Your photos are stunning and dreamlike…soup looks lovely too
My sweetie does not like pumpkin so much. Perhaps a nice soup recipe will change his mind…
Lovely photos…
I have to try that recipe, although maple syrup is a luxury article in Germany…
Your pics look straight out of Martha Stewart. Everything is so artful and creative. The pumpkin soup sounds divine – I love the combination of flavors.
Beautiful photographs and styling! And beautiful soup. Love the pumpkins…love them.
I LOVE all your photographs!! Pumpkin is one of my favorite fall ingredients. I’ve been making lots of sweets with it. Now I can make something other than sweets with all my pumpkins. Thanks!
I love the look of that soup. I’m so happy it’s pumpkin time.
Your photos are so incredible! It’s definitely pumpkin season and this soup sounds just perfect.
Fall is the most wonderful thing ever, I think. I have a pumpkin sitting on my windowsill right now, just waiting to be cooked. This soup might be its destiny. Your photos are incredibly beautiful, by the way. I just found your blog and will be back a whole lot more.
What a lovely pumpkin soup and gorgeous pictures!
Pumpkins are the best! I had a pumpkin burrito the other day. Sooo good!
The pictures are gorgeous!
This is a perfectly beautiful post for the season! I love your photos- they make me homesick for pumpkin picking with my family in Minnesota. There aren’t too many pumpkin patches in Japan, that’s for sure! Great soup recipe as well- thanks for putting me in the spirit of autumn!
note to self: must buy blender for new apartment so I can make this for myself.
Pumpkin is one of my all-time favorite flavors (fitting since I was born in October) and this soup has my name written all over it. Sounds incredible and the perfect solution for those time you want pumpkin but without the pie.
Also – these photos are beautiful. Fall is my favorite time of year and unfortunately with all of the rain in the Northeast (plus a super busy schedule) I was unable to partake in the typical fall activities. Your pictures transported me though and made me feel like I was there :)
Tis the season! I’m on a similar wavelength over here. There truly is nothing better than a trip to the pumpkin patch.
Great recipe and amazing pictures!
Gorgeous pictures! I’ve never been pumpkin picking before, sounds like fun!
very very wonderful photos!
OOOh. I’m loving the curry flavor with the maple syrup here. Great combination! And those are some seriously wonderful photos. They definitely capture the mood of the season!
What a beautiful blog you have. It’s one of those that makes me feel as if I’ve had a breath of fresh air. Truly wonderful…
I am so glad you posted this recipe, as I have 2 small sugar pumpkins that I was unsure how to make into soup.
How do you peel the pumpkins? Will a carrot peeler work or do you slice them and carve the rind off?
I can’t wait to try your soup recipe. thanks!
Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. This looks silky and delicious — I’m adding it to my fall “must cook” list.
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It’s early winter now where I live so plenty of pumpkin around. The day is cold and blustery but I’m warm inside and all the more cosy because I’m cooking your fabulous soup RIGHT NOW (it’s simmering so I have a window of opportunity to post a comment :-) ). My apartment smells wonderful and I am looking forward to tasting the rich flavours that are knitting themselves together here in my kitchen. I’m thinking this might be just the thing to serve the adults at my child’s birthday party this weekend – so I guess I’ll be cooking up a double batch tomorrow night!
Love your blog, love the photos – thank you for warming my winter!
I went apple picking the other weekend and picked up a pumpkin while I was there. I couldn’t decide if I should make pumpkin muffins, pumpkin scones, or some other pumpkin treat. I found your recipe on tastespotting – so happy I did! Made this soup last night and it was delicious and easy to make (other than peeling and chopping the pumpkin). Super creamy with the perfect blend of spices (I added a pinch of cinnamon). The brown sugar and maple syrup added just the right amount of sweetness.
Love your blog! Thanks for the recipe :)
mmmm two years later, I still love this soup. I made it again today :)