Avoid This Mistake When Making Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkins are certainly a seasonal squash, inspiring a craze of pumpkin-centric Thanksgiving desserts and latte flavors in autumn. However, canned pureed pumpkin can give you a taste of fall year round, and it works just as well as scratch-made pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread or even pumpkin spice foam for your morning coffee. It'll also work well for a savory pumpkin soup, but using the puree right out of the can would do its flavor profile a disservice. Avoid the canned or frozen pumpkin puree mistake by cooking it over the stove for a few minutes before adding the simmering liquid.

Many pumpkin soup recipes, and most creamy pureed vegetable soup recipes in general, assert the superiority of roasting fresh vegetables to puree into the soup. Canned pumpkin puree is not roasted, but instead either boiled or steamed before being canned. While baking canned or frozen pumpkin into bread or pie will help evaporate excess moisture from steaming, adding it directly to a wet cooking method like soup will mute its flavor. Plus, after a long stint in a can, the puree may take on a metallic taste. Cooking canned puree over the stove will rid it of its metallic taste and extra water, thereby concentrating the pumpkin's sweet and savory notes.

You can add the puree to the soup pot after sauteing the foundational aromatics to instill even more depth of flavor before then adding the spices and cooking liquid.

As evidenced by its more popular use in desserts, pumpkin pairs well with plenty of warm spices that also work with a savory recipe like soup. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg will work just as well to add spice to pumpkin soup as they do to pumpkin pie. Salt and pepper is enough to take these dessert spices into the savory realm, but other seasonings will take your soup into more complex and delicious directions. This recipe for curried pumpkin and lentil soup, for instance, uses curry powder, coriander, ginger, and cumin for an ultra-piquant, Indian-inspired taste.

A base of sauteed onions and garlic is essential to pumpkin soup, as they brown and caramelize to accentuate the same sweet and savory duo inherent in pumpkins. You can swap yellow or white onions for leeks if you want to play up the sweetness. Smoky paprika and spicy cayenne would also work really well to complement the sweetness of leek and pumpkin soup. Swap heavy cream for full fat coconut milk to accentuate the nuttiness of the pumpkin. Toasted pumpkin seeds or crispy roasted garbanzo beans will also bring out the nuttiness while providing a nice crunchy contrast to the creamy, pureed soup. A dollop of Greek yogurt, sour cream, feta cheese, or even a squeeze of lime juice will provide that tangy finish to bring the soup's profile full circle.