Very Simple Pumpkin Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
• Cook chopped onions until soft and golden brown.
• Heat the broth in a good-sized pot, add pumpkin slowly, and bring to a partial boil.
• Stir in onions, milk, polenta, honey, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, salt, and pepper (pressed garlic might be suitable at this time).
• Make sure that the ingredients do not clump but are spread throughout the soup.
• Cook for about 5 minutes or longer until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed and dissolved and so the soup is thoroughly heated.
• If at this point it seems chunkier or thicker than desired; use an immersion blender or a regular one to liquefy the soup and blend in the onions.
• Serve warm with pieces of bread if desired.

Steps:

• Heat butter in a 4 quart saucepan. Saute onion for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add the pumpkin and bring to a simmer until you are ready to eat. (Note that if the soup is too thin, you can soak the bread in some more broth and when tender, add it to the soup) Season to taste with salt and pepper and a very fine touch of ground mace. Right before serving, remove the hot soup from the heat and add the cheese. (For company you can whisk in some heavy cream before serving or top the soup with sour cream). Garnish with snipped chives.

Steps:

• Bring first 4 ingredients to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking often. Whisk in syrup, 2 tablespoons butter, and five-spice powder. Simmer soup 10 minutes, whisking often. Season with salt and pepper. (Soup can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Bring to simmer before serving.) Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Divide soup among 6 bowls. Sprinkle soup with mushrooms, dividing equally; serve.
• A blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger available in the spice section of most supermarkets.

Steps:

• Chop garlic and cook in olive oil for 30 seconds - 1 minute. Add the pumpkin, and vegetable/chicken stock, water, curry powder and cumin. Bring this to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use an immersion/stick blender to blitz the soup until smooth. Add sliced mushrooms (and chicken or shrimp, if desired). Turn heat to low and simmer until kale is done.
• Wash the kate well in a bowl of water. Separate the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and fill with the kale. Put a lid on the pan, if you have one, and wilt the kale for three minutes, turning every so often so the kale cooks evenly. Remove from the frying pan to a chopping board and leave to cool completely.
• Remove the soup from the heat and stir through the sour cream. Grind over some pepper and add salt to taste.
• Chop the kale and add to the soup pot.
• Taste for seasoning.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan, then gently cook 2 finely chopped onions for 5 mins, until soft but not coloured.
• Add 1kg pumpkin or squash, cut into chunks, to the pan, then carry on cooking for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally until it starts to soften and turn golden.
• Pour 700ml vegetable or chicken stock into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins until the squash is very soft.
• Pour 150ml double cream into the pan, bring back to the boil, then purée with a hand blender. For an extra-velvety consistency you can pour the soup through a fine sieve. The soup can now be frozen for up to 2 months.
• To make the croutons: cut 4 slices wholemeal seeded bread into small squares.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, then fry the bread until it starts to become crisp.
• Add a handful of pumpkin seeds to the pan, then cook for a few mins more until they are toasted. These can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container.
• Reheat the soup if needed, taste for seasoning, then serve scattered with croutons and seeds and drizzled with more olive oil, if you want.