Food - Drink
Why You Should Avoid Soft Pumpkin Varieties For Soup
By KAREN GRECO
Pumpkins are a huge symbol of fall, and pumpkin-centric foods such as pumpkin spice coffee and baked goods are flooding the aisles of grocery stores across America. Many of these treats use pumpkin flavoring or canned pumpkin, but fresh pumpkins are very nutritious and great for savory dishes, including pumpkin soup.
There are hundreds of pumpkin varieties in existence, so it’s important to choose one that will make for a delicious soup, and the squash's texture is one of the most important aspects to pay attention to. It’s best to avoid softer varieties, which can make your soup too watery, and instead aim for hard- or firm-fleshed pumpkins.
Two great options for pumpkin soup are sugar pumpkins and a slightly less common oblong variety called the Long Island Cheese pumpkin. The flesh of these fruits is less stringy and watery, and you should also aim to buy smaller pumpkins with dense flesh, unlike larger pumpkins that are better for carving than cooking.