10 August 2005
Just trying to keep the customer satisfied
For quite some time I have been meaning to start a new category for a collection of different Pumpkin Soup recipes. According to my stats, there have been 287 296 too many visitors to count who have come here because they have been looking for a recipe for pumpkin soup and so far they have left disappointed. It’s my own fault for choosing this particular name for my site.
But no longer. In a shameless attempt at crowd-pleasing I’m going to give those visitors what they want (I will not be responding in the same way to those folk who make it here in their search for ‘pornographic pumpkins’ - I’m not that shameless). I shall start with a bog standard, straightforward and reliable recipe which I have filched from the New Covent Garden Soup Company’s Book of Soups (at least I acknowledge my sources), but I intend to gradually add variations on this theme and see how many different pumpkin soup recipes I can come up with. You can help by submitting recipes of your own (via comments or email - I will certainly give you credit!) and by letting me know how any of the recipes work out when you try them.
So, let the souping begin…
“25g (1oz) butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
200g (7oz) potatoes, peeled and chopped
900g (2lb) pumpkin, diced
250g (9oz) carrots, diced
1.2l (2 pints) vegetable stock
150ml (1/4 pint) milk
demerera sugar to taste
finely grated nutmeg to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter and cook the onion gently for 5 minutes in a covered saucepan, without colouring. Add the potato, 700g (1 1/2 lb) of the pumpkin, the carrots and the vegetable stock. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Cool a little, then puree in a liquidiser. Return to a clean saucepan and stir in the milk.
Meanwhile, add the remaining pumpkin to a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and add to the pureed soup. Add the sugar, nutmeg and seasoning to taste. Reheat gently.”
All I ask in return is that you spare a thought for me when the time comes that you’re whizzing up this soup from your no doubt vast pumpkin harvests. Some of us will still have to buy ours…
Filed under: Recipes - P'soup — Clare @ 2:10 pm
Just thought I’d say that roasting the pumpkins first can really add some lovely flavour! Thanks for the recipe!
(18.08.05 @ 9:21 am)
Eeek ! I’m running between laptop and kitchen (OK - I could take it with me, but thats boldly going where no laptop has been before) and it suddenly occurs to me….. how many people will this serve ?
If you can answer in under 10 minutes you might save me a lot of trouble !
Q - How many people will this serve ??
If its anything less than 2 adults and 2 children then I’m in deep trouble.
(16.10.05 @ 8:53 am)
Hi Stuart,
Sorry I was not able to get back to you in less than 10 minutes, but I usually find that Covent Garden recipes make about 6 or so portions.
I hope you didn’t get into trouble.
(16.10.05 @ 1:01 pm)
Delicious ! Three and a half votes
(Comittee decision from 2 adults and 2 children)
(Half vote was a strong start followed be a “don’t like this anymore” decision…. its a tough life)
It would probably serve 6 adults - or in our case 2 hungry adults, one hungry child and one undecided
Thanks,
Stuart
(16.10.05 @ 2:17 pm)
Brilliant. Glad you liked it.
(16.10.05 @ 9:18 pm)
I shall be trying this receipe out next Friday on the homeless and generally lonely people I make soup for on the coldest winter weeks here in Queensland…so will let you know how I get on. Peronally, I love curries so always have a few spices on hand (and my balcony herb garden) and will probably add just a touch of coriander and cumin as they always add a bit of depth to the flavour, and as long as I don’t have to use the sweet pumpkins so prolifically available locally (butternut), I’ll add a little cardomum as well.
(23.06.06 @ 5:48 pm)
Hi Jo,
Thank you for your comment and suggestions about spicy additions! It would be great to hear what you think of the recipe and how it goes down.
Soup is clearly no cure for homelessness or loneliness, but made with care, attention and humanity it perhaps is a start.
(26.06.06 @ 12:05 pm)
Hi - well, yes you are right - here I am, yet someone else who popped ‘pumpkin soup’ into google looking for a recipe. So thanks for finding one and putting it on your blog.
Will be trying it out tonight on our first Jack o lanterns from my own allotment (first as in first we have grown!)
Very exciting as always - especially when I look down the recipe and see I don’t need to use any shop bought veg - own pots, own carrots, and own parsley to garnish. Hurrah! Sad? I love it!
Thanks again.
(17.08.06 @ 8:12 pm)
Hello, I came looking for a soup recipe as I managed to lose the one I had. I put pumpkin soup in my browser & came up with this site, as well as some USA ones. I just cannot get on with US recipes - I mean how much is 1 cup? Anyway, there was a message above saying roasting the pumpkin gives depth. I find I can’t do more than cut the thing in half & gouge out the seeds. I have to roast it to get the flesh out. This is particularly the case since I became disabled & my left hand no longer has much strength - but I couldn’t dice a pumpkin from scratch before. I’ll let you know how it tastes.
(18.10.06 @ 9:32 am)
My morning cook came this morning and ask if I had a recepie for pumpkin soup. I said not but I will find you one I got on the internet and punch in just that and this is how I came up on your site. In my 20 years of cooking I have never had to make pumpking soup until today. Thank you very much for the recepie I will give it a try and I will let you know how it comes out, again thank you Juan
(19.10.06 @ 8:38 pm)
Dina - I also find it something of a bind to dice the pumpkin, and that’s with full use of both hands. Usually when I make this soup I do as you do - just cut the pumpkin in half and roast it in the skin. It makes life much easier and I think the soup tastes better as a result. I hope your soup was tasty and that you’ll be back to let us know how it went!
Juan - How exciting that your first try at a pumpkin soup recipe is from my site. I hope you had a success with it. Do let us know how it comes out.
(19.10.06 @ 10:06 pm)
Hi…I came looking for a Pumpkin Soup recipe today, and came across your site. I’m very impressed. Thanks for the recipe, I hope to be making some this evening.
I shall definitely be back to look in more detail at your site - although just at work at the moment..!!
Thanks again
Lisa
(24.10.06 @ 1:06 pm)
I have used a very similar recipee for a lot of halloweens, a little double cream is also good to add at the end! Don’t forget the seeds - try drying and roasting them in the oven. Happy eating.
(28.10.06 @ 11:52 am)
Hi Lisa - I’m glad you found more here than simply the recipe. I hope your soup making went well and I look forward to hearing more from you when you’ve had a chance to look around during your lunch breaks!
Hi Jane - Mmmm, the double cream addition sounds nice, I might try that when I make the bumper amount of soup I’ll be throwing together in November for when friends come. I’ve not roasted my own pumpkin seeds before, but keep meaning to. Maybe this time. Thank you for commenting.
(28.10.06 @ 12:28 pm)
Like everyone else I typed “Pumpkin Soup Recipe” into google and came up with your recipe. I made it yesterday with my two children (3 and 2 years old) and, if I do say so myself, it was absolutely delicious, for once my children mopped their bowls clean. As if this wasn’t enough, there’s more fun to be had cutting a face out out of the pumpkin shell and putting a tealight inside for halloween - we will definitely be buying another pumpkin!
(29.10.06 @ 8:54 am)
Hi Steve - Glad to hear that the recipe was such a success with your little ones. Sounds like you’ll all be having fun this Hallowe’en.
(29.10.06 @ 5:39 pm)
Hi Clare,
I was surprised to find this site as I too had only typed in Pumpkin soup recipe.I have enjoyed browsing as I am recovering from surgery and will be off work for 2 weeks.I left my pumpkin too long and it rotted (bought) so will try again today . Have put you in my favourites, so will keep checking for news about the allotment too.
(03.11.06 @ 1:31 pm)
Hi Joyce - I’m glad you like the site and hope that you’re recovering well. Better luck with the next pumpkin! Do let us know how you get on.
(05.11.06 @ 3:40 pm)
I too have decided to use the lovely pumpkin I have at home. I have just had it delivered from an organic veggie delivery service and don’t know what to do with it - and I love soup (they call it a Japanese pumpkin - hope I can do this recipe with this type of pumpkin). The recipe looks relatively easy for my limited cooking skills. I am interested that Steve (above) got his children to help. I have a son who is 2 and 7 months and am wondering if it is wise to get him to help……..
(23.11.06 @ 8:46 am)
Here’s what I do to cope with the chore of chopping up the pumpkin:
Cut off the top of the bottom, whichever is easiest.
Stand it cut side down (now you have a nice, sturdy base)
Cut it into halves
Cut again into quarters
Then cut into eighths
Keep going until you have got pieces which are no bigger than about 3 inches / 8 cms in width.
Next, turn each segment on its side and:
1) slice off the skin, either in one piece or lots of scrappy bits
2) scrape away the seeds and stringy stuff in the middle
Now you should have some long, thinnish, skinless wedges, so simply chop into sections and add to your pan.
(10.12.06 @ 10:01 am)
Here I am in france and with a glut of, you guessed it, pumkins, as this is our first year hear I could do with some help. So I logged on and found you, so now will be trying this recipe,one other thing can this be frozen. I willbe back.
(03.09.07 @ 1:10 pm)
hi just to say thanks for a lovely simple recipie for the left over pumkins from the kids carving session.
(24.10.07 @ 5:02 pm)