Episode 10

Although fall doesn’t technically start until September 22, I consider Labor Day the official close of summer. And that can only mean one thing: Pumpkin Everything! And I knew the first pumpkin flavored food I had to make was this delicious creamy pumpkin soup.

It’s packed with flavor, colorful, and leaves a sense of “home” with you. This soup has yellow bell pepper, carrots, onions, and pumpkin – but you could always experiment with sweet potatoes and butternut squash in it as well! The recipe I followed called for chicken broth, but when I make this again, I will most likely use vegetable broth. I’ve started using that more in my cooking and prefer it over chicken.

This is the perfect soup to serve on a cold autumn day, right when that first cold front hits! The excitement and energy the cool air brings can only be tamed with something seasonal and warming like this creamy autumn pumpkin soup.

“Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite.” — Auguste Escoffier

Creamy Autumn Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cups chopped yellow bell pepper (about 2 med.)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrot (about 2 med.)
• 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 med.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and saute the yellow peppers, carrots and onions until soft and tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, paprika and 2 cups broth. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the pumpkin and process until smooth.
4. Return the mixture to the Dutch oven and add remaining 3 cups broth, salt, sugar and whipping cream.
5. Whisk until smooth and heat until piping hot.
6. Optional: Garnish with large crispy croutons or roasted pumpkin seeds!

Full disclosure: I did plan this out last week when the forecast was showing that ever elusive first cold front of the season hitting our area. I even took a screen shot because it was showing lows in the 50’s. I knew the possibility of that coming to fruition was slim, but still held onto hope that it would happen. And sadly, it looks like we will miss it this time, but that just means it will be even more exciting when it does finally cool down….maybe by Thanksgiving 🙂

Make sure to follow along on my Instagram page as I have started sharing more easy meal ideas.

And click here to go to my Recipes page at ToasttoPost.com.

Cheers – MP