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Pumpkin Soup in Mini Pumpkin Vessels

Pumpkin Soup in Mini Pumpkin Vessels

Prep Time 1 hour Cook Time 1 hour

This healthy soup looks beautiful when served, but is surprisingly easy to make.

by Helen Cavallo

What you'll need

  • 1 pumpkin (approximately 2-3 lbs)
  • 5 small pumpkins or gourds (approximately a half-pound each), with tops sliced and seeds removed (four of these will be bowls and one can hold a fall flower arrangement)
  • 3 medium carrots
  • 3 medium celery stalks
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 8 cups of stock (veggie or chicken)
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Black pepper to taste
  • Greek yogurt to finish
  • Cilantro leaves for garnish
  • Nutmeg

How to make it

1. Wash the pumpkin, cut off the ends and remove innards. Slice in half lengthwise.  Lightly drizzle pumpkin with olive oil and kosher salt.  Set pumpkin on a baking sheet (with foil for easy clean-up), face side down. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pumpkin in oven and let it bake for 20-35 minutes depending on the size.

2. While pumpkin is baking…

Clean, peel and dice your carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.  Then, in a heavy stockpot, drizzle olive oil on the bottom of the pot just to coat it.  Turn the heat to medium.  Place the diced vegetables in the pot and allow them to sweat (not brown), adjusting the heat so that the veggies literally look like they’re sweating, releasing liquid and becoming tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add a pinch of thyme, too.

When they are ready, leave the veggies in the pot and turn off the stove. 

3. Back to the oven…

Remove the pumpkin and allow to cool.  Scoop out the insides, the flesh only, leaving the hard outer skin and add the flesh to your pot with the carrots, celery, onions, garlic.

4. Place the pot back on the stove, set to medium and add the stock until all the vegetables are submerged in liquid.  You may use additional stock if the consistency of the soup is too thick when it’s finished. Let the stock and vegetables simmer on the stove for approximaely 15-20 minutes, again add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Take your soup off of the heat and blend ingredients together.  You can use a hand mixer or blender.  Blend ingredients until the soup has a smooth, creamy consistency.  To serve, drizzle olive oil around the inside of each pumpkin serving bowl then add soup.  Add a dollop of yogurt to each serving and cilantro garnish. Use your zester/grater to grate nutmeg into the soup.

6. Serve and enjoy!

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