Pumpkin Soup

Some people have always understood that soup can be easy. I’ve just never been one of them. I’ve found myself on more than one occasion eating lunch with a friend who packed leftover soup — incredibly delicious-looking soup they’d just casually “whipped up” the night before. What was this sorcery? Doesn’t soup involve lots of chopping and simmering and layering of flavors?

Apparently not, as I discovered while working on this easy pumpkin soup. Pumpkin soup is what we all crave in the fall and winter, but the idea of starting with an actual pumpkin? I’ll pass. The shortcut was obvious — canned pumpkin — but would it taste as good? The answer is a resounding yes! Here, I’ll tell you just how to do it.

• This grocery shortcut makes it easy. Canned pumpkin lets you skip all the pumpkin prep work.
• So creamy. Starting with a can of pumpkin also means you don’t have to purée the soup to smooth out chunks of pumpkin! Stirring in a splash of heavy cream just before serving doesn’t hurt, either.

• Pumpkin purée: Make sure to get a can of pumpkin purée (not pie filling).
• Broth: I use low-sodium vegetable broth to keep in vegetarian.
• Aromatics: Onion and garlic are sautéed for the flavorful base of the soup. In order to still add onion and garlic without needing the blender, you’ll want to chop the onion as finely as you can and grate the garlic on a Microplane. You can also grate the onion on a box grater; you’ll just want to be sure and squeeze out any extra liquid before adding it to the pot.
• Spices: You’re likely used to pairing pumpkin with warming fall spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, but save those for pumpkin bread. If I’m enjoying a pumpkin dish for dinner, I like to amp up the savory flavors and add a bit of heat, which is why in this recipe you’ll find earthy, smoky cumin, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and spicy ground ginger.
• Fresh herbs: A fresh herb brings homemade soups to life and sets them apart from anything you buy at the store. I like fresh thyme, because it requires the least amount of prep — just strip the leaves from the stems and throw the whole leaves into the soup. Save a few for garnish, too.
• Maple syrup: Just a drizzle of maple syrup gives this soup the perfect sweet and savory balance, as well that signature caramel-y flavor.
• Heavy cream: A couple tablespoons of heavy cream adds some richness at the end.

1. Cook the aromatics. Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant.
2. Add the pumpkin and spices. Add the thyme, pumpkin purée, kosher salt, ground cumin, black pepper, ground ginger, and cayenne pepper. Cook over medium-low until steaming and fragrant.
3. Add the broth. Add the vegetable broth and cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes.
4. Add the maple syrup and cream. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the maple syrup and heavy cream.
5. Garnish and serve. Serve warm, garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds, flaky salt, fresh thyme leaves, and more black pepper.

If you’re looking for a super-smooth and silky soup, you can blend the soup with an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

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