Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Silky smooth pumpkin soup with a hint of spice. The Australian winter staple that's been warming homes since the 1960s.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My grandmother's weekly winter staple - Patricia Williams
In Australian homes from the 1960s onward, pumpkin soup has been the default winter lunch - simple, economical, nourishing, and universally loved. My grandmother made it every Saturday through winter, using whatever pumpkin variety was cheapest at the market. Sometimes it was Queensland Blue, sometimes Butternut, sometimes Jap pumpkin - all worked beautifully. She'd make a huge pot, serve it for lunch with buttered toast, and freeze the rest in containers for easy weeknight dinners.
Pumpkin soup represents Australian practicality and adaptability. Unlike many countries where pumpkin is primarily used for sweet dishes, Australians embraced it as a savory staple. Pumpkin is hardy, grows well in Australian conditions, stores for months, and transforms into creamy, satisfying soup with minimal effort. During tough economic times - the recessions, the droughts - pumpkin soup fed families affordably and well.
Grandma's method was beautifully simple: roast or boil pumpkin until soft, sauté onion and garlic, blend everything with stock until silky smooth, finish with cream if you're feeling fancy. The soup should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pourable, golden-orange in color, and taste primarily of sweet pumpkin with aromatic support from onion, garlic, and a hint of nutmeg or curry powder.
"The secret," Grandma would say, "is roasting the pumpkin rather than boiling it. Roasting concentrates the sweetness and adds a slight caramelized note that boiling doesn't give you. Also, don't drown it in cream - this isn't French cooking. The pumpkin should be the star, cream is just a supporting actor." She'd roast big chunks of pumpkin on Sunday while making the roast dinner, then use them for soup during the week.
The serving ritual was important to Grandma. The soup would be ladled into warmed bowls, a swirl of cream on top (drawn into a decorative pattern with a toothpick if guests were coming), a sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives, and always served with thick slices of buttered toast for dunking. On particularly cold days, she'd add toasted pumpkin seeds on top for crunch, or a pinch of cayenne for warmth.
This soup also represented Australian resourcefulness - nothing wasted. The pumpkin seeds would be washed, dried, and toasted for snacking or garnish. The skin (if Queensland Blue) was so thick it became compost. Every part used, every meal thoughtful. When Grandma downsized to a retirement unit in her 80s, she gave me her big soup pot. "Keep making pumpkin soup," she said. "It's cheap, it's healthy, and it reminds you that simple food done well is all you need."
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
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Scaled Ingredients:
💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
For Serving
Pro Tips
- • Roast the pumpkin rather than boil for deeper, sweeter flavor.
- • Blend thoroughly - the soup should be completely smooth and silky.
- • Adjust thickness with stock - it should coat the back of a spoon but be pourable.
- • Don't skip the nutmeg - it adds aromatic depth that makes the soup special.
- • Make a big batch and freeze - pumpkin soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
- • Save and toast the pumpkin seeds for garnish - waste nothing!
- • For extra richness, add a tablespoon of butter when serving.
Storage
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months - thaw overnight in fridge and reheat gently.
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). This is for roasting the pumpkin - Grandma's preferred method for maximum flavor. If you're in a hurry, you can boil instead, but roasting is better.
- 2
Cut the pumpkin into 4-5cm chunks - they don't need to be perfect, just roughly even for consistent cooking. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking tray in a single layer.
- 3
Roast for 30-35 minutes until the pumpkin is very soft and starting to caramelize at the edges. You should be able to easily pierce it with a fork. The caramelization adds sweetness and depth. Let it cool slightly.
35 minutes - 4
While the pumpkin roasts (or instead of roasting, if boiling): Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. Don't brown - soft and sweet is what you want.
7 minutes - 5
Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic - it should smell aromatic but not brown.
1 minute - 6
Add the roasted pumpkin to the pot along with the stock and nutmeg (or curry powder if using - Grandma sometimes used a teaspoon of mild curry powder for warmth). Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
10 minutes - 7
Remove from heat. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until completely smooth and silky - no lumps should remain. Grandma would blend for at least 2 minutes, sometimes longer, until it was like velvet. Alternatively, carefully transfer to a blender in batches.
- 8
Return the blended soup to the pot (if using a blender). Stir in the butter and cream if using. The butter adds richness, the cream adds silkiness. Taste and adjust seasoning - it should need salt and pepper. The soup should coat the back of a spoon but still be pourable.
- 9
If the soup is too thick, add more stock or water to reach your desired consistency. If too thin, simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes to reduce. Grandma liked hers thick enough to need toast for dunking but not so thick it was porridge.
5 minutes - 10
Serve in warmed bowls. Grandma's presentation: ladle soup into bowl, drizzle a spiral of cream on top, use a toothpick to draw lines from the center outward creating a decorative pattern, sprinkle with chopped parsley or chives, and add toasted pumpkin seeds if using.
- 11
Serve immediately with thick slices of buttered toast on the side. The toast is for dunking - non-negotiable in Grandma's kitchen. On cold winter days, this is pure comfort.
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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