Pumpkin soup is my favourite winter soup – rich and velvety and smooth, whispering of coziness and comfort. There are plenty of different ways of making a pumpkin soup a real flavour sensation. In this recipe the star ingredients are a roasted red paprika and dusted sweet smoked paprika powder, giving the soup a touch of sweetness and a depth of flavour. Some recipes should be kept simple as nature intended them to be, and in my opinion, pumpkin soup is one of those dishes. This is a classic, easy pumpkin soup made with fresh pumpkin that is very fast to make. Thick, creamy and full of flavour, this is the pumpkin soup recipe you will make now and forever! The natural flavour of pumpkin is good enough that you need very little to make a beautiful, creamy, full flavoured soup. And while sometimes it’s nice to have a dolled up version with all the bells and whistles, 99% of the time, this simple recipe is how I make it. Delicious served with croutons or droplets of cream and sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients
Serves 4 people
- 1 small pumpkin
- 1 red paprika
- 1 large onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 200ml water
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
- 100ml cream
- Sunflower seeds
- Paprika seeds
- Fresh thyme leaves
Method
1. Heat a table spoon of olive oil in a large frying pot.
2. Add the chopped onions and let them soften until translucent for around 5 minutes.
3. Add the paprika, chopped in small pieces.
4. Season with the sweet smoke paprika powder and the tomato paste.
5. Mix well and let the paprika roast for around 5 minutes.
6. Pour in the vegetable stock.
7. Peel and chop the pumpkin into small chunks and add to the soup.
8. Peel and cut the carrots into small pieces and add to the soup.
9. Peel and cut the potatoes into small pieces and add to the soup.
10. Pour in the water and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes until the veggies are soft.
11. Blend the soup until smooth. If too thick add more water.
12. Season well with salt and black pepper.
13. Serve with light droplets of cream, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and fresh thyme leaves.
