Sometimes you just need soup and whether it is a certain type of weather or mood you are feeling, a great bowl of soup can be the the only thing that will really hit the spot.
It is October right now and pumpkins are a plenty. They are in the grocery stores, farmers markets, for sale on the side of the road and even in front of the hardware store and I know it can be easy to get overwhelmed by how popular they are, but when it comes down to it… they are quite tasty.
Pumpkins rock. They are full of antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamins and fiber and a whole cup of pumpkin only has about 50 calories. They can be used in both savory and sweet dishes and they are absolutely delicious. I love cooking with pumpkin and have had a lot of fun transforming them into pumpkin curry, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin creme brûlée and pumpkin cookies, among other delicious dishes, but today is one of those soup days for me.
I have a beautiful sugar pumpkin in my kitchen, so I am making a batch of my thick, creamy roasted pumpkin bisque. A bisque is simply a thick puréed soup and this one comes together is two simple steps.
Let’s get started…
Step one is to roast the vegetables. They all get added to the same dish and roasted for the same amount of time. No stirring, mixing or baby sitting required.
Cut a 3 pound sugar or pie pumpkin in half and remove all of the seeds. Do the same with a large sweet apple (I am using a pink lady, but honey crisp, envy and gala work great too). Peel 2 medium carrots, chop a yellow onions in half and remove the outer layer and then cut the top off of a bulb of garlic. Put everything into a deep baking dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
Season the vegetables generously with 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and a big pinch of salt and black pepper.
Roast the seasoned vegetables in a 425 degree oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until everything is very tender. Carefully transfer the baking dish onto a cutting board and grab your blender…
Step two in making this roasted pumpkin bisque is blending everything up until it is smooth and creamy.
Scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin and apple (the skin should easily fall off after they are roasted) and transfer it along with the onions and carrots into the blender. Carefully press the roasted cloves out of the garlic bulb and add 2 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup in with the roasted vegetables.
Blend everything until it is super smooth. If you prefer your bisque to have a thinner consistency, feel free to add a little more chicken stock. If you love the subtle sweetness and want more, add another splash of maple syrup. If this bisque is sweeter than you’d prefer, you can add a squeeze of lemon to balance the sweetness.
This roasted pumpkin bisque has so much flavor! I love the way that roasting brings out the natural sweetness in the pumpkin, apple and onions. All of that roasted garlic adds a beautiful layer of nuttiness and all of those spices add warmth, spice and smokey goodness. So much flavor, such little effort…
This bisque reheats really well, so I love making a batch early in the week and having it for lunch each day.
Right before you enjoy this beautiful bisque, add a thin drizzle of heavy cream, a teeny bit more maple syrup if you want to highlight the natural sweetness in this soup and a sprinkle of grated parmesan. Creamy, salty, thick, rich and so very comforting…
In just two easy steps (roast and blend) and with healthy, flavorful ingredients, this roasted pumpkin bisque is such a comforting soup that anyone can make at any time and once you do, you will keep coming back to this fabulous recipe again and again…
Roasted Pumpkin Bisque
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of pumpkin (sugar or pie), halved with seeds removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, halved and peeled
- 1 small bulb of garlic, top removed
- 1 medium sweet apple, halved with seeds removed
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon pf turmeric
- salt and black pepper
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup
- grated parmesan (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- Add the prepared pumpkin, onion, garlic, apple and carrots into a deep baking dish and drizzle with several tablespoons of olive oil
- Combine 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and a big pinch of salt and black pepper and generously season all of the vegetables
- Roast the seasoned vegetables uncovered for 45 minutes or until they are very tender
- Scoop the flesh from the roasted pumpkin and apple into a blender and add the roasted carrots and onion
- Carefully remove the roasted garlic cloves and add them into the blender along with 2 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- Blend until smooth
- Add additional stock to thin or salt or black pepper, if necessary
- Serve garnished with a drizzle of heavy cream and some grated parmesan
