Pumpkin Cream Soup With Croutons: Recipe for Four Servings

The Latvian news portal NRA has published an autumn recipe for pumpkin cream soup, served with bread croutons and roasted pumpkin seeds. The recipe makes four servings, and its authors present the dish as suitable for the whole family.

Ingredients

The soup calls for 800 g of pumpkin, one medium potato, one carrot, one onion and two garlic cloves. It also needs 700 ml of vegetable or chicken stock, 100 ml of cream, a tablespoon of butter or olive oil, half a teaspoon of ground paprika, a pinch of nutmeg, plus salt and black pepper. For serving, the recipe lists a handful of pumpkin seeds, two to three slices of bread, a little oil or butter and some cream for decoration.

Method

The pumpkin, potato and carrot are peeled and cubed, while the onion and garlic are finely chopped. The onion is fried in hot butter or oil in a pot until soft and translucent, then the garlic is briefly sautéed. Next come the vegetables and spices, which are fried for a couple of minutes and covered with stock so the vegetables are almost fully submerged. The soup is simmered under a lid for 20–25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

The pot is then taken off the heat and the soup is blended until smooth. Cream is stirred in, and the soup is briefly reheated if needed. If it is too thick, a little stock or water can be added.

For the croutons, bread cubes are coated with oil or melted butter and fried in a pan until golden brown and crisp. The pumpkin seeds are lightly toasted separately in a dry pan until they start to smell fragrant.

Serving and tips

The hot soup is ladled into bowls, topped with a little cream swirled into a pattern, and finished with croutons and seeds. Smoked paprika, freshly ground pepper or a few thyme leaves can add more aroma.

The recipe advises choosing a ripe pumpkin with bright orange flesh. For a more intense flavour, the pumpkin pieces can be roasted in the oven at about 200 °C for 25–30 minutes before boiling. Ginger or chili can be added for a sharper taste, and coconut milk can replace the cream.