Roasted Garlic Pumpkin Soup with Brown Butter
Roasted garlic pumpkin soup with brown butter turns canned pumpkin into a creamy, flavorful soup. Easy enough for weeknights, but special enough for a fall dinner party starter.
Servings 6
Calories 310kcal
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large soup pot. Roomy enough for simmering.
- small oven-safe ramekin For roasting the garlic and holding the oil.
- skillet To brown the butter.
- Blender To purée the soup.
Ingredients
- 1 bulb garlic
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- ½ cup (113 g) butter
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 tbsp (15 g) ginger paste
- ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp (3 g) table salt
- ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper
- ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
- 2 (15 oz / 425 g each) cans pumpkin purée
- 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsps (16 g) cornstarch with 2 tbsps water (optional for thickening)
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- cream swirl (optional garnish)
- pepitas (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Cut the top off a whole bulb of garlic and place it in a small ramekin. Drizzle with olive oil. The ramekin keeps the garlic contained and holds onto the oil, which you’ll use later for cooking. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the cloves are very soft. Let cool, then squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves. Reserve the oil.1 bulb garlic, ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, stirring until it foams and brown flecks form at the bottom. When it smells nutty, remove from the heat and set aside.½ cup (113 g) butter
- In a large pot over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the reserved garlic oil. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent.½ medium yellow onion
- Stir in the roasted garlic, ginger paste, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Cook for 1 minute to wake up the flavors.1 tbsp (15 g) ginger paste, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon, 1 tsp (3 g) table salt, ¼ tsp (1 g) black pepper, ¼ tsp (0.5 g) cayenne pepper
- Add the browned butter, pumpkin purée, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Stir until well combined.2 (15 oz / 425 g each) cans pumpkin purée, 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, 1 tsp (5 ml) fresh lemon juice
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- For a thicker soup (optional), whisk together 2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water. Stir into the soup and let simmer for a few more minutes until slightly thickened.2 tbsps (16 g) cornstarch
- Use an immersion blender to purée until smooth and creamy. If using a countertop blender, let the soup cool slightly first. Blend in small batches with the lid vented, since hot liquids expand and can cause the lid to pop if too much heat builds up.
- Return to the pot and stir in the heavy cream.1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- Garnish each bowl with a swirl of cream and pepitas if you like.cream swirl, pepitas
Notes
- Roasting the garlic in a ramekin keeps the oil contained so you can reuse it in the soup.
- Heavy cream makes this soup sturdier for freezing than milk-based soups, though you may still see slight separation after thawing. Stir well when reheating.
- Taste and adjust the cayenne to your preference.
Nutrition
Serving: 400g | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 780mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 18500IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 2mg