This is my go-to soup for when I’m short on time and need comfort. Its creamy, mildly sweet and flavored with fresh ginger & black pepper to give it mellow heat. A big bowl works well as a meal, or you could make smaller portions as appetizers. Either way, this 30-minute soup delivers a ton of warmth for not too much effort😊
Pumpkin & Ginger Soup
A creamy, comforting soup for when you want something healthy, but not exactly light!
Equipment
- A mixer / blender/ grinder
- A sieve
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp Olive oil [alternate: sunflower or vegetable oil]
- 8 -10 small cloves Garlic
- 1 Large Onion
- 250 gms Pumpkin
- Salt [to taste]
- 2 cups Warm Water/ Vegetable Stock
- ¼ tsp Smoked Paprika
- Freshly Crushed Black Pepper [to taste]
- 1 tsp Finely Chopped/ Crushed Ginger
- Salt [to taste]
- Sugar [optional]
- 1 tsp Cream [optional & only to garnish]
- a few leaves Celery / Mint / Parsley [to garnish]
Instructions
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a sauce pan and sauté garlic until it begins to go crisp around the edges.
- Add a roughly chopped onion and half a tsp of dried rosemary to the pan. Sauté on a medium flame until the onions go shiny and translucent.
- Add the pumpkin, a pinch of salt and cook sauté on a low flame until the pumpkin starts to get mushy around the edges. Here’s what it should look like:
- Add 2 cups of warm water or vegetable stock and bring to the boil; cover and simmer for 5 –7 minutes until the pumpkin is completely cooked through. Turn the heat off and pour the mixture into a large sieve to separate the vegetables from the liquid. Reserve the liquid.
- Allow the veggies to cool slightly and then purée until smooth. Transfer the purée back into the saucepan; add the finely chopped ginger1. Stir well.
- Add enough of the reserved liquid to reach a thick, creamy consistency. Next, add freshly crushed black pepper and paprika to taste.
- Bring the soup to a boil one last time (which should only take about a minute) and turnoff the heat!
- Taste check and add more salt, as well as a pinch of sugar2 if you like. Serve in large bowls with a drizzle of fresh cream3 and your choice of fresh herbs4 as garnish!
Recipe Notes:
1We add the ginger later to ensure its not overcooked and that some of the fresh ginger taste shines through!
2The sugar is not essential but helps round out the flavors well! You don’t want the soup to be sweet; the idea is to enhance the natural pumpkin flavor!
3Skip the cream for a vegan version.
4I used celery leaves as a garnish, because I had them handy. Mint or parsley work well too!
Here’s a quick play by play of the whole recipe. Let me know in the comments below if you give this one a shot🖖
Love this recipe. I’m making a butternut squash soup tonight with orange juice. I was thinking of adding ginger and seeing this recipe has just sealed the deal. Thanks and keep up the good work. xxx
so glad it helped! Ginger and orange work really well together 🙂