Description
This Roasted Garlic Sage Pesto Pumpkin Soup is a comforting and flavorful autumn dish featuring roasted pumpkin and garlic blended into a creamy soup, enhanced with a fresh sage and parsley pesto. Topped with spicy fried pumpkin seeds for a crunchy kick, this hearty soup is perfect for warming up on chilly days and can be served in roasted pumpkin bowls for a festive presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 1 large sugar or pie pumpkin, cut in half with seeds removed and reserved (plus 4 small pumpkins if making pumpkin bowls)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 small shallots, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Sage Pesto
- 1 head garlic clove, roasted (or substitute 1 raw garlic clove)
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup fresh sage
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (substitute feta or parmesan if preferred)
- ¼ tsp pepper
Fried Pumpkin Seeds
- Reserved pumpkin seeds from above
- 1 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- ¼ tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp pepper
- Salt, to taste
- Olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pumpkin and garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the pumpkin into halves or fourths and remove the seeds, setting them aside. Place the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet, rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Trim the top of the garlic head to expose cloves, peel away excess skin, drizzle with about 1 teaspoon olive oil, and cover with foil.
- Roast pumpkin and garlic: Roast the pumpkin and the covered garlic together for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is fork tender and the garlic is golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Prepare garlic mash and pumpkin puree: Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and mash them with a fork. Add roasted pumpkin pieces to a food processor or mash by hand, pureeing with 1 cup chicken broth until smooth.
- Sauté shallots and herbs: In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped shallots and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the fresh thyme and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Combine soup ingredients and simmer: Add the pumpkin puree, remaining chicken broth, coconut milk, water, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, maple syrup, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pot. Stir well, bring to a low simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the roasted garlic, parsley, sage, and pistachios. Pulse until finely chopped, then stream in the olive oil while pulsing. Add the crumbled blue cheese and pulse a few more times until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fry the pumpkin seeds: Toss the reserved pumpkin seeds with coconut milk and flour in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix chipotle chili powder, brown sugar, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the pumpkin seeds, stirring continuously until they puff up and brown. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Toss immediately with the spice mixture and salt, seasoning to taste.
- Assemble the soup: Serve the soup in bowls or roasted pumpkin shells if desired. Top each serving with a dollop of pesto, a sprinkle of spicy fried pumpkin seeds, and an optional drizzle of coconut milk. Enjoy immediately.
- Optional roasted pumpkin bowls: Remove the tops of small pumpkins and scoop out seeds. Rub the insides with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake on a baking sheet at 400°F for 20-30 minutes until soft but held intact, then use as edible serving bowls.
Notes
- Adjust cayenne and chili powder amounts to control the soup’s spiciness to your preference.
- Blue cheese can be substituted with feta or parmesan if preferred or to suit dietary restrictions.
- Roasting the garlic softens its flavor and adds sweetness; raw garlic can be used for a more pungent pesto.
- If avoiding nuts, pistachios in pesto can be replaced with toasted pumpkin seeds or omitted.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Use coconut milk drizzle to add creaminess and a slight sweetness when serving.
- Roasted pumpkin bowls enhance presentation but are optional.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 ½ cups)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
