The 3 Best Pumpkin Varieties To Use For Ultra Creamy Fall Soups

Pumpkins were a food staple for the Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica for eons before they were cultivated by Native Americans in North America. Today, there is a plethora of types of pumpkin and squash in the fall. Some are great for classic pumpkin pie, while others are better for soup. We talked with Jesse-Sierra Ross — a former ballerina, now a cooking and home-entertaining expert, whose book "Seasons Around the Table: Effortless Entertaining with Floral Tablescapes & Seasonal Recipes" features menus and recipes and design tips for year-round entertaining. Jessie-Sierra had plenty of advice to offer about the cucurbit family, which includes pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, watermelon, and other gourds. "There are so many pumpkin varieties on the market that it sometimes gets tough to choose the best type for your particular recipe," Jesse-Sierra said. 

"Most of your decision-making depends on the flavors and texture you're looking to develop." She has three favorite pumpkin varieties for making creamy soups: sugar pumpkins, Cinderella pumpkins, and pumpkin's "cousin," butternut squash. Sugar pumpkins resemble mini jack-o-lanterns, which Jesse-Sierra said "are amazing either roasted and pureed into a velvety soup, or peeled and cubed into a stew." Using canned pumpkin over fresh for soup may be a time-saving shortcut, but sugar pumpkin's sweet and dense flesh will yield a more flavorful dish. Sugar pumpkins can also be used as individual bowls for a hearty vegan-stuffed pumpkin recipe.

The whimsical Cinderella pumpkins "sounds like they are ready to become a magic carriage," Jesse-Sierra said. "These reddish-orange pumpkins are great for soups and stews." Originating from France, where this curvaceous cucurbit is called "rouge vif D'Etampes," it crossed the Atlantic to America in the 19th century and earned its nickname from the 1950 Disney animated film. Cinderella pumpkins can grow up to 35 pounds and have become a favorite for cooking. As Jessie-Sierra said, "firm-fleshed and with a mild, sweet flavor, these are beautiful for your next soup recipe." You can make ultra-creamy soups a number of ways, but when cooked, the Cinderella pumpkins' creamy flesh just needs to be pureed without adding cream to the soup. In addition, its huge size guarantees a luscious soup that can feed a crowd.

Although we were talking about pumpkins with Jesse-Sierra, she said that butternut squash deserves to be on this list. Widely found in the fall, "this squash is perfect to use as the base of your next blended soup with its mild flavor and bright orange flesh." The squash's seeds add a spicy kick to this roasted butternut squash soup recipe, but you can get creative with butternut squash in other recipes that aren't soup. Jesse-Sierra also recommends cubing butternut squash and adding a bit of texture to a hearty and comforting stew. It's the perfect time of year to explore the wonderful world of pumpkins and give Jesse-Sierra's expert suggestions a try.