One of My All-Time Favorite Recipes for Fall

Photo credit: Cala Maffia

Roasted Pumpkin Soup 
​Recipe courtesy of Southern Living, October 2016

Amy's Tip: This decadent soup is so yummy with a glass of Pinot Gris or Cabernet Sauvignon and a crusty baguette. Also pairs nicely as a soup and salad combo, or amuse-bouche before a multi-course meal.
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Instructions and original recipe here.

​Ingredients

• 1 (3-lb.) sugar pumpkin, butternut squash, or kabocha squash
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 thyme sprigs, plus more for topping
• 1 sage sprig
• 1 oregano sprig
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• Pomegranate seeds for topping (optional)
• Pumpkin seeds for topping (optional)
  
  

Tools you'll need
A good soup pot or saucepan, large bowl, sharp knife, baking sheet, blender.

From Amy's Kitchen:
Are you one of those home cooks who feels like every time you need a recipe you jump on Pinterest only to find the blogger is going on and on before giving you the actual steps and ingredients? A little impatient? Yeah, me too. That's why when I share a recipe, I'll put it smack dab at the top where you can find it in a snap, and I'll always include a link to the original recipe where applicable. Now, onto what's happening in my Kitchen.

​Fall is one of my favorite times of year! From hay rides at the pumpkin patch, to kick-off at the big game, crisp Autumn air, cozy sweaters, and Aspen leaves are kind of my thing. It reminds me of when I used to come home from school upon the first Autumn's chill, and my mother would have a delicious batch of homemade chili or soup simmering on the stove - the enticing aroma hit me the minute I opened the front door.

Soup has a way of bringing people together. It makes us feel better when we are under the weather, and provides a level of nourishing comfort that few meals can. Soup for me, is loaded with memories - like the time my mother-in-law served Ethan and I a soothing bowl of chicken and rice soup after a long day of air travel. Or the fact that nearly every time I come in from out of town to my grandmother's house she has a steaming pot of homemade soup simmering on the stove, ready and waiting on us for dinner.

Oh and that time years ago when I worked at Fuller Sotheby's International Realty's Denver Tech Center office. We had the most gracious real estate agent who would bring in crockpots of gourmet soup once a week to share with the busy administrators and marketing staff. You have no idea how many times we skipped lunch because we were all so busy, but this gesture was so touching, and the entire marketing department looked forward to it every week. These memories might be why I'm often on the hunt for a new fabulous soup to cook.

Last season I stumbled across this beautiful Roasted Pumpkin Soup recipe in Southern Living magazine and I'm not going to lie - I was a bit intimidated at first. The only thing "pumpkin" I ever cooked with came from a can. Does roasting pumpkin seeds after carving count? Anyway, I decided to give it a try - plus it gave me the perfect excuse to break out my new Le Creuset pot that I received as a wedding gift from my sister.

With a little prep and patience, you can have this dish on the table in under two hours, the majority of your time is spent baking with a little chopping/blending mixed in. But I promise, the minute your spoon hits the bowl, this decadent, luscious soup will have you at hello. It's light and velvety, savory yet mild, and altogether a great warming soup that's perfect for serving when temperatures start to dip. Southern Living calls it, "As close as you'll get to serving fall in a bowl" and adds that "roasting the pumpkin gives it a deep caramelized flavor that's delicious." I couldn't agree more!

My husband, who is quite the food critic and not much of a soup fan, LOVES this Roasted Pumpkin Soup recipe, and upon first try went back for seconds! I plan to make this little gem for a light dinner later this week and pair it with a crisp salad and tall glass of wine. And I'm willing to bet, if I can get my meat-and-potatoes guy to give this a whirl, you can get your picky eaters to try it too. Delicious and nutritious, like fall in a bowl - now that's a win in my book. I'd love to hear how your soup turns out, and if you put your own spin on it. Let me know in the comments!

Cheers and Happy Fall,

AP

Amy Puchaty is a luxury real estate writer and communications specialist whose marketing campaigns and copywriting work has appeared in numerous print and digital publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Denver Post, and Dallas Business Journal. Why Amy Puchaty? Because it’s selling season. Follow Amy at www.amypuchaty.com #AtHomeWithAmy #AmyPuchaty #LuxuryRealEstateWriter