I often find that there is something special about a children’s book written and illustrated by the same person. The pictures and words often have a special harmony when they come from the same creative mind. This is certainly true of the book Pumpkin Soup written and illustrated by Helen Cooper. Cooper melds the text with the illustrations in a way that gives the book a vibrant sense of life and warmth. The fact that the illustrations and words work so well together in this book is especially fitting given that Pumpkin Soup is all about teamwork. In the story, three friends, a cat, a duck, and a squirrel, live harmoniously together in a large pumpkin. They each have their allotted jobs and do them well. They play music together, stitch quilts together, and make pumpkin soup together, “the best you ever tasted.” But when one of the friends decides to shake things up by trying out another’s job, can their friendship survive?
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The illustrations in this book exude autumnal coziness and warmth. They will make you want to move into a little pumpkin of your own with two best friends! However, the pictures of the friends cooking together are my favorite part of the book. A big pot of pumpkin soup simmering on the stove while the friends work together to season, stir, and chop is a beautiful picture of friendship and teamwork.
So, of course, I had to make a pot of Pumpkin Soup of my own! I love to have a big pot of soup bubbling on the stove during the colder months of the year, so I was surprised to realize that I had never made pumpkin soup. I’ve made squash soup, potato soup, and other creamy, blended vegetable soups, but never pumpkin. I usually reserve pumpkin for sweeter dishes, but this soup has changed my mind! I roasted a pumpkin to make homemade pumpkin puree and, while I do think homemade puree adds a special freshness to this soup, you could certainly use 3 cups of canned puree instead. To the roasted pumpkin puree, I added onion, garlic, broth, and lots of spice and finished it all off with a little maple syrup for sweetness. I think this soup tastes just like an autumn day; let me know what you think!
Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and lightly oil a sheet pan. Remove the stem from a small pie pumpkin (sometimes called sugar pumpkins) and cut the pumpkin in quarters. Scrape out all the seeds and fibers from the pumpkin quarters. Brush the pumpkin flesh with a light coating of olive oil and then place the quarters, flesh side down, on the oiled sheet pan. Roast until a fork easily pierces the pumpkin pieces and the flesh is beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes.
Once pumpkin has cooled, remove the outer skin and discard. The skin should peel away easily at this point. Place the pumpkin flesh in a food processor or blender and blend until a smooth puree forms. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water for the pumpkin to form a smooth puree as some pumpkins are drier than others. Set pumpkin puree aside.
Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the pumpkin puree to the pan along with the broth, salt, and spices.
Turn the heat down to low and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, to allow the flavors to blend. After 30 minutes, stir in the maple syrup or honey and blend the soup to make it very smooth and silky. To blend: you can use a stick blender directly in the pan, or transfer the soup to a blender or food processor to blend. If using a blender or food processor, make sure the lid is vented to allow steam to escape, but covered loosely with a towel to prevent hot soup from splattering. After blending, serve soup immediately, drizzled with a little cream and/or sprinkled with cinnamon, if desired.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and lightly oil a sheet pan. Remove the stem from a small pie pumpkin (sometimes called sugar pumpkins) and cut the pumpkin in quarters. Scrape out all the seeds and fibers from the pumpkin quarters. Brush the pumpkin flesh with a light coating of olive oil and then place the quarters, flesh side down, on the oiled sheet pan. Roast until a fork easily pierces the pumpkin pieces and the flesh is beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes.
Once pumpkin has cooled, remove the outer skin and discard. The skin should peel away easily at this point. Place the pumpkin flesh in a food processor or blender and blend until a smooth puree forms. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water for the pumpkin to form a smooth puree as some pumpkins are drier than others. Set pumpkin puree aside.
Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the pumpkin puree to the pan along with the broth, salt, and spices.
Turn the heat down to low and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, to allow the flavors to blend. After 30 minutes, stir in the maple syrup or honey and blend the soup to make it very smooth and silky. To blend: you can use a stick blender directly in the pan, or transfer the soup to a blender or food processor to blend. If using a blender or food processor, make sure the lid is vented to allow steam to escape, but covered loosely with a towel to prevent hot soup from splattering. After blending, serve soup immediately, drizzled with a little cream and/or sprinkled with cinnamon, if desired.
