Here’s a really tasty soup, very wholesome – roasted blue pumpkin soup. It’s a little sweet which lends to being served hot or cold, and with the holidays on the horizon it would make for a great introduction to a holiday meal.
This roasted blue pumpkin soup, is a wonder, it’s low in fat, gluten free, and suitable for vegans, and if you or one of your guests are paleo, you can substitute the peanuts for almonds. Perfect for a family or a group of friends with varying dietary requirements.
Blue pumpkins are somewhat new to me, I grew up eating the regular orange-skinned pumpkin in my mother’s soups. I had no idea there were pumpkins of different colors. Blue pumpkins come in varying pale blue to deeper blueish greens, although the flesh is no different to any other pumpkin.
I used cipollini onions in this recipe, both blue pumpkins and cipollini onions have a slightly sweet taste which work really well together. Once roasted they begin to melt and caramelize, once they get to that goey, yum yum stage you’re good. The balsamic vinegar in this recipe heightens the sweetness just a touch, but the soup is balanced out nicely with a peanut topping. Who can resist? I defy those of you die-hard meat eaters to pass on this soup. It’s the perfect opener that sets the stage to a great fall or winter meal.
This soup can be made a day or two prior to when required so give it a test run and save the recipe for a family occasion or friendly get together.
Roasted Blue Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 1 blue pumpkin approx. 3 lb
- 4-6 cipollini onions
- Olive oil for drizzling approx. 2 tbsp
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 5-6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Peanut Topping
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp granulated garlic
Utensils and Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Stick blender or conventional upright blender
- Upright blender for peanut topping
Instructions
Peanut Topping
- Place peanuts, garlic and paprika in a blender, pulse until you arrive at a fine powder.
Pumpkin Soup
- Wash pumpkin thoroughly and cut in half and place on thin-lipped baking tray, cut side down.
- Wash onions throughly, do not remove the skins.
- Cut onions in half and place on the same baking tray with the pumpkin, cut side down.
- Drizzle pumpkin and onions with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Place in preheated oven at 380 and cook until onions and pumpkin soften.
- - It is likely the onions will cook before the pumpkin, make sure to remove them when done and set aside.
- Once pumpkin is cooked through - you should be able to pierce the pumpkin very easily right through - set aside with onions and allow to cool.
- Once pumpkin and onions are cool to touch, remove the onion skins by simply pulling them away and peel the pumpkin.
- Make sure to slice off any parts of the pumpkin that have hardened during cooking to avoid lumps in your soup.
- Pour vegetable stock into saucepan and place on medium heat.
- Add pumpkin and onion flesh and balsamic vinegar.
- With a stick blender, blend ingredients thoroughly.
- - If you don't have a stick blender, remove from heat and pour ingredients into a upright blender and pulse until you arrive at a thick soup consistency and then return to saucepan and heat.
- Add 1 or 2 cups of vegetable stock according to preferred consistency and add salt to taste. I recommend 2 tsp, but you may prefer more or less.
- To finish, stir while still on medium heat.
- Allow soup to cool to a warm temperature and then serve in shot glasses and top with peanut topping.
