Pumpkin and chili: how to make a delicious pumpkin soup

European

5.00 / 5

Cook Time

45 mins

prep_time_text 10 mins

total_time_text 45 mins
Serving

2
Difficulty

Easy

For me, autumn and the beginning of winter are definitely all about pumpkin-based dishes. In fact, pumpkin dishes are one of the main reasons I can’t wait for autumn each year. This bright vegetable is truly versatile – it can be fried, baked, boiled, and even eaten raw, turned into snacks, desserts, and main courses. And one of my all-time favorites is this creamy pumpkin soup. I love making baked pumpkin cream soup, it’s incredibly fragrant and just spicy enough to warm you up in the middle of autumn. I also usually make cheesy chips to go with this soup.

Today we will prepare a slightly different version of this classic dish – a pumpkin soup with chili peppers. And trust me, this dish isn’t just for lovers of hot food – you can adjust the amount of chili flakes to your liking. But I’m sure the pumpkin’s sweetness is just perfectly complemented by the slight bitterness of the chili.

Note that the chicken broth for soup must be prepared beforehand.

HOW TO MAKE A CHICKEN BROTH

To make a delicious, rich chicken broth, it’s best to use both chicken meat and bone – for example, you can use thighs or drumsticks. If you try making broth out of chicken breasts, it might turn out watery and not as flavorful as it should be. It is also best to use fresh meat, but if you decide to use frozen chicken, make sure to thaw it beforehand in the refrigerator. Another important thing to think about is the herbs and spices you’ll be using to make your broth. To make the broth really fragrant, add a few bay leaves, allspice and black peppercorns into the pot along with the meat.

As for the mirepoix, I usually make it using onion and carrots, but you can also add celery or parsley root. If you want a subtle smokey aroma, saute the vegetables before adding them to the stockpot or brown them lightly in a dry skillet. Simmer the chicken broth over medium heat for about an hour, skimming off the foam. Ready-made chicken stock can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

The secret of this creamy pumpkin soup is its ease of preparation. You just need to chop the pumpkin, onion and garlic, saute them, add the broth and a few thyme sprigs and then simmer everything. Then you’ll need to purée everything with a blender and add chili flakes or ground hot pepper. That’s all! If you want a restaurant-worthy presentation for this dish, simply add a few pumpkin seeds before serving.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CHILI PEPPER

Ingredients

400 g pumpkin, peeled

800 ml chicken stock

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

2 sprigs thyme

1/3 tsp chili flakes

3 tbsp olive oil

pumpkin seeds (for serving)

Salt to taste

Pumpkin and chili: how to make a delicious pumpkin soup: Directions

Step 1

Prep all of the ingredients you’ll be using to make this creamy pumpkin and chili soup. If you want a sweeter soup, choose a butternut squash or a pie pumpkin.

Step 2

Peel and dice the onion, thinly slice the garlic cloves. Cut the pumpkin into cubes of approximately the same size.

Step 3

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.

Step 4

Add pumpkin cubes to the onion and garlic and sutee everything together for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5

Next, pour 800 ml of pre-cooked chicken broth into the pot and salt to taste. If you salted the stock beforehand, it’s best to refrain from adding more salt at this point.

Step 6

Add the thyme sprigs and chili pepper flakes. I used about 1/3 tsp. flakes, but you can adjust the amount according to how well you handle heat. Cook the soup for another 20-25 minutes, until the pumpkin is cooked through.

Step 7

Once the pumpkin is soft, remove the thyme sprigs from the pot and purée the soup until creamy and smooth. Taste it and add a little more salt if necessary. When serving soup, garnish with pumpkin seeds and freshly ground black pepper.