Pumpkin Soup with Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Happy National Pumpkin Day! Here we celebrate October’s iconic vegetable with a soup that uses almost the entire pumpkin. Pack any leftover toasted pumpkin seeds in your child’s lunchbox for a fun treat. For a vegetarian dish, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken broth.

Pumpkin Soup with Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

1 small pumpkin (about 3 lb./1.5 kg), such as Sugar Pie, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l) chicken broth

For the spicy pumpkin seeds:

1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) pumpkin seeds, cleaned

1 tsp. canola oil

Salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss the pumpkin with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on the prepared baking sheet. Roast the pumpkin until soft and caramelized, 30 to 35 minutes.

In a large, heavy pot, warm the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and pumpkin and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper.

To make the spicy pumpkin seeds, lower the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, toss the seeds with the oil. In another bowl, combine 1 tsp. salt, the cayenne, cumin and cinnamon. Add the pumpkin seeds to the spice mixture and stir to coat. Spread the seeds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, stirring once, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the soup garnished with the pumpkin seeds. Serves 6.

Find more soup recipes for every season and occasion in our cookbook
Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day, by Kate McMillan.