Autumn To-Do List
Buy boots. Wear new boots at every waking moment.
Bust out the scarves and go for it. Two at a time? Fine by me!
Make Dad’s Sweet Potato Pie. I know… I’ve been talking about this for ages. I need to shut my trap and get bakin’ already.
Don’t get Swine Flu, that would be seriously lame.
Is it time for flannel sheets? Well.. is the Pope Catholic? Heck yes!
Eat Roasted Pumpkin Soup by the truckload. Do it. Done.
I make a lot of soup. I don’t tell you about half of the soup I make because if you knew, you might make me change the name of this blog to Joy the Soup Maker.
That being said… when I make soups, I usually don’t follow a recipe. Here’s a secret: you can throw just about anything into soup and it’ll be delicious.
Here’s my recipe for pumpkin soup. It’s easy, creamy, and super healthy. Store it in jars in the freezer and put a frozen jar in the fridge in the morning for the evening’s dinner. This recipe is divine with or without the heavy cream. You could also use water instead of vegetable stock, but I love the flavor that a good vegetable stock adds to vegetable soups.
Roasted Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Soup
serves 6 to 8
1 medium pumpkin (perhaps a sugar pumpkin) and 1 medium butternut squash
1 cup leeks
2 small cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
5-6 cups vegetable broth
1/4-1/2 cup cream
2 teaspoons brown sugar
a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut pumpkin and butternut squash into 2-inch chunks, removing the inner seeds and fibrous bits. I roasted my pumpkin and squash with the peel on and removed the cooked flesh from the peel once baked. If you think it’s easier to peel the pumpkin and squash before baking, then go right ahead.
Slice the white flesh up until the green stalks of several leeks. Toss the pumpkin, squash, whole garlic cloves and leeks on a baking tray with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a fork inserted in the flesh of the pumpkin and squash meets no resistance.
Remove from the oven and allow them to rest until cool enough to handle.
When cooled, use a spoon to scoop the cooked flesh away from the squash peel and place in a large saucepan. Add the roasted garlic and leeks to the pan too. Add 3 cups of warm vegetable broth and using a hand blender, blend and breakdown the squash flesh with the broth. If you don’t have a hand blender, blending the chunky soup in a regular blender in batches should work too. Add 2 to 3 more cups of broth and blend until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Add sugar and nutmeg.
Cook soup over medium heat for 30 minutes. Add cream and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Serve warm.
Jackie
This was the only recipe that peaked my interest. I made it and loved it! So did my boyfriend. Freezing leftovers was just as good! I drizzled a bit of truffle oil on top before serving and it was great. My boyfriend suggested a dollop of ricotta would have been a nice final touch as well. I will try that next time! Thanks for the recipe Joy, you are awesome!
Garcey
Ive tried this and paired it with fried prawn in garlic and butter match made to heaven thanks for sharing, ops i add 2 tablespoon of napoletana sauce instead of roasting i boiled it and instead of vegetable broth i use the soup from boiling it turns out really really great my husband likes it thanks again..
Wendy Brunson
I couldn’t find a pumpkin, so substituted two sweet dumpling squash (shaped like an acorn squash but with yellow/orange coloring with green flecks). Turned out very nicely, even without the cream, as you said!
Christaface
This was delish! Subbed the cream with cashew cream to veganize, and served with black olive baguette. Definitely making it again :)
paoli
Do you think green onions would work? Wish I would have looked up recipes BEFORE going to the store… they had leeks… Oh well.
Veronica
I made this last night and it came out amazing!! Thank you for posting the recipe!!
Nicole
I can’t wait to try this recipe. How do you think chicken broth would do in place of the veg.
Thanks
Nicole
joythebaker
i think veggie broth would be wonderful! go for it!
Andrea
Hi, I just made the soup but had no leeks, so I put a small onion, added a peeled apple and substituted the sugar for a little maple syrup…since I’m Canadian :) It’s delicious!! Great recipe..thanks!!
annie1
What about adding more ingredients to make it chunky? We ate at a restaurant in Asheville, NC, that added sweet potatoes, a little corn and black beans to make this a chowder- this soup of yours makes a great base for more veggies
joythebaker
sounds good to me!
Jane Doe
De-freakin-licious! Thank-you for the wonderful recipe :)
Louisa
This sounds incredibly OISHII (this is delicious in Japanese, which is where I am currently and there are loads of pumpkins in season…actually they always seems to be in season in Japan!) Have done something similar before except added quite a lot of cumin and a big scoop of curry powder. It was divine! The spicy flavors really helped to warm us up. I used cream the last time, but will be trying soy milk this time for health purposes. Can’t wait for dinner tonight, thank you for the recipe :)
Susan
This was wonderful! First time I’ve made Pumpkin and/or Squash soup – and it won’t be the last. In the end, mine didn’t need the sugar, but that is the only thing I changed. Thanks so much for posting it :)
Susan
Btw just made the recipe again… This time I needed the sugar- so I suppose it depends on the pumpkin/squash. So wonderful- thanks again!
Pati
I’m gonna give this a shot let u know how it turns out ……sounds yummy I was thinking of adding crabmeat and a touch of sherry ….
joythebaker
sounds absolutely delicious Pati!
Brianna
I am wondering, did you add the remainder part(s) of the leeks some point in the recipe or was that an unused portion? I would like to use the whole leek if possible because we don’t use leeks often in our kitchen, and I’d hate for the rest of the green portions to go to waste. :)
Other than that question, I will be making this meal for my family on Christmas Day’s dinner! The biggest dinner I have cooked so far. Wish me luck!
joythebaker
i didn’t add the remaining leeks to the recipe. if you don’t want to waste anything… substitute a small onion, cut into large chunks and roasted along with the squash. does that work for you?
Catherine S
I just made this tonight and it was soooo goooooood!!!! My only difficulty was that my blender didn’t puree it as smooth as I’d have liked it–did you have this issue too? Doesn’t matter though, my husband already asked with his puppy dog eyes on if we could please please please make it again before pumpkins go out of season, so we’ll definitely be making it again. The flavor is just so dang good! Thank you for posting this!!!
Belinda
I make something similiar but I have bacon in it as well (bacon goes well with everything!).
Christianne
Would a jar be the best vessel for this? I thought glass shouldn’t go in the freezer. That being said, this looks really good.
joythebaker
oooh i don’t know. maybe tupperware? glass shouldn’t go in the freezer? mama never told me that.
simon
I think just in case the soup expands as it freezes and busts the jar? I’ve had to empty my freezer and hunt broken glass in amongst the food too many times after trying to hurriedly chill beer or wine and forgetting, only to open the freezer the next day to find a big alcoholicicle :(
I HAVE managed to freeze food in glass vessels but only by leaving a big gap for expansion. A quick Google search indicates that water expands ~9% on freezing so I guess a bit of guesswork for pumpkin and squash soup may be needed (guessing squared; an incredibly accurate method)!
Either way, I’m making this soup tomorrow morning for a friend who’s stopping by our place in Manchester on his way back down south from Liverpool. We’re in the UK and it is cold, wet, windy, wet and cold. Grey too. A lovely warm orange soup with fresh crusty bread will be just the thing:)
thank you for the awesome site!
S X
lauren at KeepItSweet
Yum I could eat soup every day for lunch and dinner when it is cold out lol
amy
joy!
i made dad’s sweet potato pie yesterday with your no roll dough and it’s to die for!
thank you thank you for the deliciousness . & for renewing my hope in my ability to make pie crust . :)
joythebaker
you made it!? AWESOME!!!
Anna
Ah! I want to make this so badly. Alas, no blender. :(
Also, you need to start a soup section. Who doesn’t love soup? I’d read it… and buy the book.
squash soup
I’ve just made this and it was soooo delicious I had to come on here and thank you – thanks again!
Catie
The soup is GREAT!! I added some curry powder because I love curry and butternut squash together. Thanks for the awesome recipes.
Megan
Joy! Sweet potatoes are taking over my kitchen counter. For real. I think they are hooking up and making sweet potato babies. Please post your pie recipe soon!
Soupdiva
I just made this soup yesterday. It was amazing! Everyone who tried it loved every bite. My husband’s new 2nd favorite, only because he can’t get enough white cheddar potato with pancetta. He gave you a HUGE thumbs up and said you’re an excellent soup maker! YUM! I recommend this recipe 100% It even got me 2 marriage proposals by my 2 friends. I can’t marry them for my cooking and borrowing your recipes, as I am already married, and they are both gay, but it was funny. I promised them pumpkin cheesecake instead.
Jessica
I made this last night, but added some crispy bacon and toasted, spiced pumpkin seeds. It’s even better the next day! Absolutely delicious :-)
Jessica
I JUST got squash and pumpkin in my farm share – I’ll definitely be trying this this weekend, thanks!
Chaitali
Mmm..soup!.
Nothing is more comforting than a steaming hot bowl of soup on a cold windy day.
Joy, could you please post a few more soup recipes?
Kristy
Recipe sounds fab! Soup is my fav. part of the fall!
katie
I made this soup this morning and let it hang out in the crockpt until lunch time….super yummy, so simple and my 4 yr old couldn’t get enought of it :)
peachkins
love the photos!?
Singapore Short Stories
How I love pumpkin!
Jelli
This week I’ve made pumpkin soup twice. My squash-family hating AND soup-hating husband loved it! I really couldn’t believe it! My recipe is almost identical to yours except for the absence of cream and onions in place of leeks. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the warm soupy goodness.
Angelique
This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time! With Canadian Thanksgiving just ending, and Halloween coming up…I have so many pumpkins! I needed something to do with all of them and this is exactly what I am going to do! Not to mention how wholesome this will be on these cold days to come…
xoxo Ange
Gaël
Mmmm, I just love a good pumpkin soup!
I believe that especially the roasting of the pumpkin gives a great taste!
Your recipe is quite similar to mine, but I use coconut milk instead of cream and I add two heaped teaspoons of currypowder to the soup; yummy!
katie
I am on a “make anything and everything I can with pumpkin” kick right now. Pumpkin Cookies, cupcakes, muffins, scones, sticky buns and soup is on the list too! Looks super yummy!
Anna
Looks so yummy, comforting and just oozes autumn.
I’ve already made soup 3 times in the past two weeks…so I know where you’re coming from.
Thanks for another great recipe Joy!
Abby
This looks and sounds like the perfect fall/winter dish! Litterally can’t wait to try it – hopefully I can make that happen this weekend. My fiancee and I are soup people … serious soup people. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Nirvana
I could live on soup alone… well soup and salad… keep the soup recipes coming :)
Petit Filoux
Ooh that sounds delicious!! Will try and go to the market on saturday to buy some pumpkin and buttternut squash!!! Would make a nice lunch at work too.
By the way, what did you do with the seeds? Reading your blog, I’m sure you’re not the type of person to throw them away! They’re so good roasted in the oven with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt!!! Is it naughty to buy squash just for the seeds?!!
the siu jiat
it’s been a rainy windy & cold day today~~ a bowl of warm pumpkin soup will definitely brighten up my gloomy thursday afternoon!
pretty chinaware :)
Mar
PLEASE give us some more soup recipes. I love soups and can’t wait to make this one tomorrow. Thanks!
Kate
I just made pumpkin soup last night! And, I “garnished” it with chopped bacon and bits of blue cheese — the whole sweet and salty thing — it was soooooo good. Pumpkin season rocks. Looking forward to the sweet potato pie!
Sues
Pumpkin and squash are my two favorite things ever and this soup sounds amazing! Can’t wait for the sweet potato pie!
Shannon @ bakeandbloom.com
*sigh* pumpkins are over in Australia now..I mean I can ger them..but they’re just not as good now. Thinking about doing a cold cucumber & avocado soup with spicy crab though!
Singapore Short Stories
I just love the food!
Liz
My mom makes a mean pumpkin soup but I’m going to get her to add the squash great combo!!
Quick question: where did you find the beautiful dishes in the soup picture? I have issues with china patterns in that I collect too many eek! But those are so lovely I just wondered where you found them. thanks!
Josie
ooo this looks delicious!
Erika from The Pastry Chef At Home
Joy,
The first thing on your to do list is totally the first thing on my to do list as soon as the weather gets chilly! A random stranger once said to me in a shoe store “Girl, you can never own too many shoes or handbags!”
ps: I make a giant pot of Butternut Squash and Pear Soup that I freeze every fall for quick easy dinners. But I love yours with the combo of pumpkin and butternut squash. Will be trying this soon!
Adrianna from A Cozy Kitchen
I’m SO looking forward to that sweet potato pie recipe!
megan
Definitely want to try th is! I made butternut squash soup last winter and wasn’t able to get it very creamy. It still had a few chunks, which I wasn’t thrilled about. Is that because I used a regular blender instead of a hand blender? Any tips to get it extra creamy?
Phoo-D
This looks totally delicious! We usually make a butternut squash soup, but I’ve never added pumpkin. Great idea! I too am a soup fiend. In fact I’m stuggling against posting 3 soup recipes in 2 weeks…can’t help myself!
Rebecca
Mmmmmm!! My teeth are salivating! haha :) This looks delicious for a chilly autumn day.
Heather
Why why why won’t my husband eat butternut soup? I may have to make it anyway and eat the whole pot over a period of days. I’m not a fan of squash alone, but it’s so tasty in a soup.
It’s so much fun to read the blog of someone who connects fall with food as much as I do!
martina
Wow! How fall-ey it is!! I love soup, too…but my husband does not!Damn it!
Every time I prepare a soup I had three or four jars in the freezer, and right now I have three different type of soup! The last one was a celeriac soup, the next one? this one!
Thanks for the idea and bring on some new soup!
cheers Martina
Shauna
You know what I love about you, Joy? The fact that you are strangely able to read my mind. How else would you have known that I’ve been searching for a fabulous soup recipe to use up all of the butternut squash and pumpkins that our family gave us during our road trip to Massachusetts this weekend? Seriously – you’re awesome. Better than awesome. Insanely awesome. ;)
Cate
Joy, soup is my favorite food. Seriously. I almost love soup more than I love baking. Please, please, please continue to share your soups with us! By the way, here in Ohio scarves and boots and such came out 2 weeks ago- Oh the joys of early fall!
christina
Interesting, our to-do lists are amazingly similar!
Lovely soup, and the china you used looks so pretty.
Jessica Taylor
Looks YUMMY! Can’t wait to try it.
Julia
I’m on such a soup kick… this sounds delicious! I wonder… would it be good with curry? I had the most amazing curried pumpkin and squash soup once.
Caroline Smardenkas
Yes I too was wondering if curry would go well with this dish.
Can’t wait to try this soup out, we are all soupies in my family.
nita scot
Just ate butternut squash soup for lunch but the addition of pumpkin sounds divine. Looking forward to the sweet potato pie recipe as well :)
sandi
It is pumpkin soup season even down south. I’ll take a slice of that sweet potatoe pie too.
Kylie of Thin Crust, Deep Dish
So I just made a really similar soup this weekend for company. Instead of sugar I added 1/4 cup of fresh apple cider…so good. I also sauteed an apple and some sage and threw that in. Oh, and then on top I crumbled a bit of bacon and fried a sage leaf for garnish. That stuff made it especially special and fall-ey. Yay for fall!
Esther
This looks so yummy! I have always wanted to make pumpkin soup. We will be trying this recipe for sure.
The DeL Sisters
Megan
Ooh! This soup would go perfect with my fall boots!
Julie
Mmmm so perfect for the cold, rainy day outside right now.
ABowlOfMush
This sounds like my dream soup! Yum!
Laura
Oh this looks so good!! Soup and fall go so well together, and this might be the first one of the season I make!
Libby
Yummm! I just made my own pumpkin puree this past weekend and it was super easy. This soup looks great! I bet the flavors of the pumpkin and squash compliment each other perfectly :)
Errin
There isn’t a lot that I find to be redeeming qualities for the winter months of the northwest…however clothes and food (especially soups) make the short list. You should definitely pot more soups. We will still visit you. :)
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
And I CAN’T WAIT for the sweet potato pie recipe..I hope it makes it’s debut soon!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
OH yum! It is so chilly here in Pittsburgh and this will be PERFECT. Even just the roasted veggies are great, I bet.