Homemade pumpkin soup with rustic croutons – can it get any better? I love homemade soup in the autumn when it’s cold and damp outside. It smells warm and homely while it’s cooking and tastes much better than shop bought.
This pumpkin soup is the perfect way to use up any pumpkin you may have left over from Thanksgiving. If you live in the beautiful U.K., as I do, and your Halloween pumpkin is long gone, feel free to use any squash you can find. Just a few days ago I was in Sainsbury’s and they still had a big range of squash available, and butternut is available year round now.
When you’re making this, make sure that you sauté the leeks, don’t just chuck them in with the pumpkin and potatoes, or you end up with that horrible leeky aftertaste that you get in tinned soups – not nice.
And the croutons? They’re not compulsory but they should be. Salty, crispy and chewy, homemade croutons are so gorgeous you may want to double up on this part of the recipe.
Soup is a great way to get veg into small children and this soup is quick and easy to make – I had it on the table in under 30 minutes. All you need to add is a chunk of cheese and the rest of that baguette, and you have a full meal.
Pumpkin Soup with Rustic Croutons
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 1-2 tablespoon cooking oil
- 3 medium leeks (sliced and rinsed)
- 800 g (7 cups) pumpkin (peeled and cut into small dice)
- 2 medium main crop potatoes (cut into small dice)
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the croutons
- 1/3 of a baguette (torn into roughly 2cm (1 inch) pieces)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Scant ⅛ teaspoon garlic salt
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the soup
- Fry the onion and leeks in 2 tablespoons of oil, over a low to medium heat, lid on, until the onion is translucent and the leek has softened. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin, potatoes and hot stock. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer rapidly for 15 minutes.
- Check the vegetables. If they need a few more minutes, continue to cook. When the vegetables are nice and soft puree the soup with a stick blender. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary, bring back to a very gentle simmer and serve.
For the croutons
- Pre-heat the oven to 200⁰C (400F)
- Toss the ingredients in a bowl, place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until crispy and golden.
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