I love fall. I have probably said this but any season that involves loads of pumpkin-flavored things totally has my vote. I recently made this curried pumpkin soup with some modifications. It’s the perfect soup-as-meal soup – thick, hearty, and creamy but not too rich. Recipe below!

curried pumpkin soup

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 3-4 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 6 cups chicken broth – i didn’t totally measure this, so add more or less depending on how much you want/how it tastes
• 3 cups solidly packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 to 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• Sour cream and chives, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Stir in the onion, celery, and apple. Partially cover the pot and sauté the ingredients over medium-high heat, adding garlic in after about 5 minutes. Keep stirring until the onion is clear, about 8 minutes total. Stir in the curry powder, and paprika and sauté the mixture for another minute. Stir in 2 cups of chicken broth and cook it for 1-2 minutes more.
2. Pour the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor and puree the mixture until it’s smooth. If needed, add another cup of broth to the mixture to make it easier to puree.
3. Pour it all back into the pot, then stir in the pumpkin, remaining chicken broth, the salt, cayenne pepper, and the bay leaf. Set the soup over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. After 5 minutes, stir in the heavy cream, milk, and 2 tablespoons of honey. Taste the soup, adding more salt or honey if necessary to get the desired balance of sweet and savory. Simmer it for 2 minutes more, remove the soup from the heat, and serve it hot. If desired, garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped chives.

This soup keeps for a few days to a week, and also freezes well if you want to make batches ahead for meals. Enjoy!