Pumpkin Cream Soup

Fall is just around the corner and I have the urge to make soup.  The mornings here are starting to get cooler. I've seen a few leaves starting to turn red.  It has been such a hot dry summer that Autumn can't get here quick enough for me. One of my favorite soups for fall is pumpkin.  I do cheat and use canned pumpkin puree but it makes it so quick and easy to whip up a warm bowl of steamy goodness that I don't mind.  

It's hard to believe they are so little here and so stinkin cute. 

The first time I had pumpkin soup was at the Hitscherhof Farm Festival in Germany.  It's so popular that if you don't get there early enough they'll run out. In Europe pumpkin isn't considered a dessert food. It's a squash so they use it in savory dishes like soup and ravioli or pasta. When I mentioned to a German friend that we used pumpkin in pie, cake and cookies she didn't believe me. 

So back to the soup.  This soup isn't sweet or cinnamony or nutmegy.  There's no maple syrup or brown sugar. It's just plain pumpkin and cream.  It's delicious topped with cheese, bacon or salty roasted pumpkin seeds. 

Ingredients:
15 oz pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic chopped
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 Tbs olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
Toppings 

In a medium sized pot saute the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Then add the broth, pumpkin and salt to taste.  Simmer for 10 minutes stirring constantly then remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream.  Serve warm with any of combination of the following toppings:

- a drizzle of more cream
- toasted or roasted pumpkin seeds
- pumpkin seed oil
- crumbled bacon
- parmesan cheese

That's it. Super simple or should I say "souper" simple? I topped my soup with cream and pumpkin seeds but it's even good by itself.  You really can't go wrong with this.  It's quick and easy and sure to please.  Even my kids love it and that says a lot. 

Print out a copy of the recipe here. 

Pumpkin Cream Soup