Apple, Carrot, and Pumpkin Soup
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Dear Reader,
It has been snowing so much this past week, it feels as if we are living inside of a snow globe. I love cooking warm and comforting soups during these blustery days when we are snowed in. My children especially love a hot steaming bowl of soup after spending time playing out in the snow drifts. This smooth and creamy Apple, Carrot, and Pumpkin Soup is the perfect comfort food for winter days! It’s sweet and savory, made from roasted pumpkin, hearty carrots, and subtle sweet apples and cinnamon.
enjoying pumpkins in winter:
Even in winter, I still love to enjoy the flavor of pumpkin. There is something so calming and comforting about the warm flavor of pumpkin mixed with delicious warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. While pumpkin is obviously associated with the fall season, as that is when pumpkins and winter squash are ready to be harvested, it was quite common, historically, for pumpkins to be enjoyed all winter long. Many varieties are hardy enough to last for several month if stored at the right temperature and conditions, such as having some air flow and low humidity.
Because we grow our own pumpkins, we are able to put up quite a few for winter and enjoy them even when autumn has long gone. I was so thankful to be able to roast up one to enjoy for a cozy winter lunch.
recipe notes:
You can use canned pumpkin. Our family certainly has a unique situation where we grow most of the vegetables that we use to cook with. I know that many others around the world do not have this ability or means, so you will have to purchase your pumpkin. If fresh pumpkins are difficult to find or too expensive, you can certainly use canned pumpkin. You need 2 cups (480 ml) of pureed pumpkin, but one 15 oz (420 g) can of pumpkin puree will work perfectly.
You will need something to blend the soup. This soup is fully blended smooth, so there are no chunky pieces of vegetables. You will need a sort of blender or food processor to make this happen. If you do not have these, you can certainly blend your soup the old-fashioned way with a food mill. Think of it as similar to making homemade baby food!
recipe notes continued:
Omit the dairy. If you are avoiding dairy, this soup tastes just fine without the addition of heavy cream or goat cheese. If you would like to add some creaminess to the soup, I would suggest adding coconut milk or other non-dairy cream substitute. However, I do believe that the potato gives it the extra thickness that this soup needs!
the method:
Before the soup is made, if you are using a fresh pumpkin, the pumpkin will need to be roasted. This gives the pumpkin so much flavor. It also is so much easier than trying to peel off the skin and chop up the pumpkin! The pumpkin is roasted at 350° F (177° C) for about 1 hour.
As the pumpkin roasts, the other ingredients can be prepped and ready for cooking. Once prepped, you will begin by sauteeing the the onion, garlic, and carrots until they are soft.
As the vegetables cook, you will add the chopped potato which will give the soup thickness without adding more fat and flour. Then, everything is seasoned with delicious fresh ginger, maple syrup for a touch of sweetness, salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes for a bit of spice.
You may choose to use chicken or vegetable broth for this recipe. The soup is simmered in broth until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes. As this point, your pumpkin should be finishing up roasting!
Once the pumpkin is soft, remove it from the skin and add it to your soup. Then, the soup is transferred to a food processor, blender, or food mill and blended until smooth.
final thoughts:
This soup is so inviting. I love a pumpkin soup that isn’t overly sweet! This soup has just the right amount of subtle sweetness and winter spice without overpowering the savory excellence. This soup can easily be adapted to be a vegan pumpkin soup or vegetarian pumpkin soup, if you do not mind altering the ingredients.
I hope that you enjoying making this nourishing pumpkin soup recipe! It’s the perfect meal to warm your belly on a winter’s afternoon.
xoxo Kayla
Apple, Carrot, Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium pie pumpkin, or 2 cups (480 ml) pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup [75 g])
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup [126 g])
- 1 medium baking potato, peeled and diced (about 1 cup [159 g])
- 2 tbsp (16 g) grated ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup
- 3 tsp (12 g) kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 4 cups (960 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 4 oz (113 g) goat cheese
Instructions
- *If you are using pumpkin puree, skip this step! Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F (177° C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut your pie pumpkin half and scoop out the seeds. Set these aside for another use. Place the pumpkin flesh side down on the baking sheet. Then, roast the pumpkin for about 50 to 60 minutes or until it has become soft and the flesh has started to release itself from the skin. Let the pumpkin cool slightly, then scoop out the flesh and puree it in a food mill, blender, or food processor. Set this aside for now.
- In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Stir in the onion and garlic, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Then, add the carrots, potato, and ginger cooking until just slightly softened, another 5 minutes.
- Season all of the vegetables with the maple syrup, salt, pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Stir to coat everything well. Then, pour over the broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, lower the soup to a simmer, and cover the pot. Cook the soup over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are fork tender.
- Transfer the soup to a food processor, blender, or food mill and puree the soup. You may choose to do this in batches, depending on the size of your blending tool. Once smooth, return the soup to the pot. Add the pumpkin puree and bring the soup back up to a boil.
- Remove the pot from heat and stir in the heavy cream and goat cheese. Once melted, serve the soup hot with a crusty bread!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
230Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
