Single Pumpkin & Potato Soup with Fennel & Sage

Author Notes: "Single" because of its singular simplicity. One of every soup-friendly ingredients mingles in this velvety autumn minestra. —Cassie Jones
Food52 Review: I hoped for a pumpkin soup that wouldn't end up being run-of-the-mill: success! Cassie's soup is delightful: easy to make, full of fresh ingredients, and hearty enough for a stand-alone meal. The potato adds a velvety richness that balances the slight spiciness of the fennel, and the sage is the perfect final seasoning. Since a single-pound pumpkin is nearly impossible to find, I roasted a larger one and used half. Additionally, I substituted vegetable broth for water and served the soup with crumbled goat cheese, which added a touch more creaminess. Definitely a new addition to our fall soup rotation. —kitchen_ninja
Serves 4 to 6
-
1
pound whole pumpkin
-
1
tablespoon olive oil
-
1
medium fennel bulb
-
1
medium carrot
-
1
stalk of celery
-
1
small yellow onion
-
1
pink shallot
-
1
large clove of garlic
-
1
large potato (baking size)
-
1
quart water (or stock)
-
1
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
-
1
bay leaf
-
1
teaspoon fresh sage (about 4 to 6 leaves)
-
1
teaspoon salt
-
1
dash pepper
-
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional, for garnish)
-
Crusty bread, for serving
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut off the top and bottom off of your pumpkin. Halve and remove seeds. Place the pumpkin halves cut-side down onto a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil. Bake for 45 minutes or 1 hour, or until very tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool.
- Prepare fennel by removing greens and stem base and outer layers if they are bruised. Roughly chop and place in a bowl of cool water. Agitate the fennel and make sure any dirt hiding inside the layers of the fennel has been washed away. Rinse and strain.
- Heat olive oil over medium-low in a pot large enough for your entire batch of soup. Add fennel, salt, and pepper.
- Roughly chop onion, shallot, garlic, celery, potato, and carrot. Add all of it to the pot. Sautée until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Scoop the pumpkin from out of its skin, with a spoon. Add to the pot. Immediately add the water, freshly grated nutmeg, and bay leaf.
- Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Allow to cook until the potato smashes easily against the side of the pot with a spoon, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Puree the soup with an upright or stick blender. Return to low heat. Taste, then add water, salt, or pepper if needed.
- Remove the small stems at the bases of the leaves of sage. Using a chef's knife or mezzaluna, finely mince the sage into small pieces, smaller than 1 millimeter. For a finer texture, use a mortar and pestle and grind the sage. Add the fine sage to the soup. Stir and let soup set for 15 minutes over very low heat.
- Serve the soup warm. If you'd like, top the soup with a good amount of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Serve with a good crusty bread.
- This soup is wonderful if made ahead, and tastes even better as the next day's leftovers!
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe for Autumn Soup
More Great Recipes:
Potato|Vegetable|Entree|Hors D'Oeuvre|Soup|Gluten-Free|Make Ahead|One-Pot Wonders|Slow Cook|Vegan
Showing out of comments
over 4 years ago Adelucchi
Made this recipe today. I got a pumpkin in my CSA box so I wanted a quick and simple recipe. Had rave reviews from my husband and my extra picky 17 year old grandson!
Can't wait until tomorrow to have the leftovers! I followed the recipe exactly except I added a dollop of plain yogurt and a dusting of smoked paprika. Thanks for the recipe I know I'll use it often especially during pumpkin season.
over 4 years ago Cassie Jones
kitchen_ninja, you are awesome! Thank you so much!
over 4 years ago kitchen_ninja
I tested this one (see my headnote above) and loved it -- thanks for sharing it here, Cassie!
over 4 years ago Cassie Jones
Thank you! Sorry, for the late reply! The weight of the pumpkin before baking it should be 1 pound. A small, maybe 7-10 inch diameter pumpkin. You could also substitute squash, if you like. And of course, you can always add a little more pumpkin and a little less potato, or the other way around, depending on your tastes.
over 4 years ago sexyLAMBCHOPx
Chops is a trusted home cook.
Do you have an approx. weight of the pumpkin for this soup to try? Is it the standard orange one? Looks great!
Showing 5 out of 5 comments