It’s that time of the year again! A lot of rain and thunder, leaves turning brown, red or yellow, the trains are delaying because of said leaves on the track.. I’ve already had my first pumpkin spice latte! What could be better than sitting on the couch, reading a book, while the rain softly taps your window!? You won’t be surprised that one of my favourite seasons is autumn. Is it Halloween yet?

The first autumn storm is approaching and the Dutch weather forecast has warned us with a code orange, meaning we have to be extra careful on the road and going outside in general. Here in the south of the Netherlands it usually isn’t as bad, but despite that I think it’s the perfect opportunity to create a hearty autumn soup. Today I’m sharing a recipe for pumpkin soup. And what could be better than eating pumpkin soup on a rainy day? Eating pumpkin soup out of a pumpkin ofcourse!

Ingredients

For 2 to 3 people

• 500 gr pumpkin flesh, you will need 3 pumpkins of about 700 grams each or one big pumpkin of at least 2 kg.
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp oliveoil
• 600 ml chicken or veggie stock
• 1 bay leaf (plus 2 extra to garnish)
• 125 gr crème fraîche

Take your pumpkin and cut it in half, so you can turn the bottom half into a bowl. Scoop out all the seeds, you can either toast them or compost them. Scoop or scrape out all the flesh of both sides, without damaging the skin. You wouldn’t want a leaky bowl, would you? I used a melon baller, officially called a Parisian drill, to take out all the flesh and scrape the sides clean.

Take 500 grams of pumpkin for the soup, a little more if you like a thicker soup, the leftover pumpkin can be used for a pumpkin pie. Chop the onion and bake it in the oil until the onion has turned almost transparent. Add the pumpkin and cook it on high heat until it is soft.

Add the stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in your home made bowls and add a dollop of crème fraîche and a bay leaf. Serve with dark bread for dipping.

Don’t forget to serve your soup with a lid! You could also buy a big pumpkin and serve the soup in bowls at the table.

Happy Cooking!