Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup

A creamy, comforting soup made from butternut pumpkin roasted with onion and garlic, then blended smooth with stock, cream and warm spices. A touch of maple rounds out the natural sweetness, and it is perfect with crusty bread for dipping.

Golden, fragrant and deeply comforting, this is the soup that turns up on cooler evenings when something warm and easy is all anyone wants. Roasting the pumpkin first brings out a natural sweetness that no amount of stirring on the stovetop could match, and the garlic turns soft and mellow alongside it in the oven. A small spoonful of maple syrup at the end rounds out the warm spices without making the soup taste sweet. It is the kind of soup that fills the kitchen with that good roasted-vegetable smell long before it ever reaches the table.

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 70 min · Serves: 6 · Cuisine: Australian · Category: Soup

Ingredients

Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup

• 1.4–1.6 kg butternut pumpkin, halved, seeds removed, peeled and chopped into large pieces
• 1 large brown onion, peeled and quartered
• 3–4 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus extra to serve
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ cup cream, plus extra to serve
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup, to taste
• Pinch of nutmeg, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the pumpkin, onion and unpeeled garlic cloves onto the tray. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle over the salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Toss to coat, then spread everything out in a single layer.
3. Roast for 50–60 minutes, turning once, until the pumpkin is very tender and lightly golden at the edges. The onion should be soft and sweet, and the garlic should be roasted but not dark.
4. Transfer the roasted pumpkin and onion to a large saucepan. Squeeze the garlic from its skins and add it to the pan.
5. Pour in the stock and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes before blending: this gives the roasted vegetables time to rehydrate and makes for a much smoother soup once blended.
6. Blend the soup until completely smooth, using a stick blender or a heat-safe blender. Take your time here, as the longer it blends, the silkier the soup will be.
7. Return the soup to low heat. Stir through the cream, butter and maple syrup. Taste and adjust with extra salt, pepper or a small pinch of nutmeg if needed.
8. Serve warm with a swirl of cream, cracked black pepper, a little finely chopped parsley and crusty bread on the side.

Serving Suggestion

This soup is lovely on its own with crusty bread, but it also sits well at the start of a larger meal. Serve alongside Simple Rosemary Focaccia or a slice of Portuguese Corn Bread (Broa de Milho) for dipping, or follow it with something simple from the table such as Dry Brined Roast Chicken Breast for a complete, cosy dinner.

Notes

Butternut pumpkin is not as deeply orange as some other pumpkin varieties, but it makes up for it with real sweetness. Keep the roast at the 50 to 60 minute mark for the best colour: push it further and the soup will lean more burnt orange than golden. A deeper roast can add sweetness, but go too far and the soup can turn slightly bitter, so watch it in the last 10 minutes.

If the soup is not as smooth as you would like after blending, pass it through a fine sieve for a silkier finish.

Once the cream is stirred through, keep the heat low. Reheating too high at this stage can affect the texture of the soup.

The Grace Table Tip

For a thinner soup, stir through a splash of extra stock once it is back on the heat. For something richer, add a touch more cream just before serving and let everyone add their own swirl at the table.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, reheating gently with a splash of stock or cream if it thickens. This soup also freezes well for up to 3 months: for the best texture, freeze before adding the cream, then stir it through after reheating.