Pumpkin cream soup

Baked hokkaido or nutmeg pumpkin in the oven, simmered with spices and sautéed onions, then blended, seasoned with cream and spices. Pumpkin cream soup is a gentle hug in a bowl. The fragrance of roasted hokkaido or butternut brings cozy autumn afternoons and the comfort of a warm kitchen. This smooth pumpkin soup keeps things simple and lets good ingredients shine.

Ingredients:

• 1 large hokkaido pumpkin (or butternut squash)
• 2 onions
• 250g / 8,8 oz heavy sour cream
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Half tsp ground star anise
• Half tsp ground chilli
• Half tsp ground cinnamon
• 1l / 35(fl.oz) / 4,2 cup water
• Pepper
• Salt

Recipe steps:

1. Clean the pumpkin, cut the stiff ends and cores, cut into smaller pieces and roast in the oven for about 1 hour at 150°C/300°F.
2. Toss the diced onion in butter and salt, add the roasted pumpkin, pour in water and add the spices, stir, bring to the boil and cook with a gentle boil for about 20 minutes.
3. At the end blend with a stick blender until smooth and add the sour cream.
4. Check the seasoning one last time and fine-tune with salt and pepper if necessary, then serve the hot cream.

Ingredients and balance:

Pumpkin is the star and choosing a good one matters. Hokkaido gives a sweet tone and vivid color, butternut feels velvety and a touch fruity. Onion builds the base, butter adds softness and the spice quartet of ginger, star anise, chilli and cinnamon ties the flavors together. Sour cream brings a gentle tang and turns the pot into a true cream soup without heaviness.

Technique notes:

Roasting the pumpkin is where the magic begins. The edges caramelize, the flavor deepens and the soup tastes richer than when you boil raw cubes in water. Sweat the onion in butter until translucent and bloom the spices for a few breaths so their aroma wakes up. Use hot water if you must, yet warm vegetable stock makes the pumpkin soup kinder and rounder. Blend until completely smooth and stir in sour cream at the end. Adjust thickness with a little hot stock if needed. If you love an extra silky finish, pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve.

Variations and ideas:

Pumpkin soup loves small elegant touches. Toasted pumpkin seeds add a happy crunch. A drizzle of cold pressed pumpkin seed oil paints a nutty green ribbon. Crispy sage leaves fried in butter are charming on top. For a dairy free bowl swap the sour cream for coconut milk and enjoy a creamy pumpkin soup without dairy. A mild curry note fits beautifully if you replace cinnamon and chilli with a warm curry blend. A few drops of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar at the very end lift the flavor and keep the pumpkin bright.

Serving and pairing:

Serve in warm bowls with crusty bread, herby croutons or thin shavings of cheese that melt softly on the surface. This soup pairs well with roast chicken, sheet pan vegetables or a simple grain salad. For a festive table swirl a thread of cream and scatter a pinch of seeds and you have a picture perfect pumpkin soup that tastes even better than it looks.

Make ahead, reheating and freezer friendly:

Pumpkin cream soup is easy to make ahead. It keeps two to three days in the fridge and often tastes even rounder the next day. Reheat gently and loosen with a spoon of hot water if it thickens. For the freezer prepare the base without dairy and stir in sour cream after thawing and warming. A batch will keep well for up to three months and brings instant comfort to busy evenings.

Common pitfalls and gentle fixes:

A flat taste usually needs a pinch of salt or a breath of acidity. Too sweet happens when the pumpkin was very ripe, so balance with a squeeze of lemon or a little extra sour cream. A grainy texture asks for more blending or a quick pass through a sieve. Add chilli slowly, then adjust at the table for heat lovers.