Pumpkin soup is one of those recipes that gets a bad reputation because most versions are a bit sad, watery, and over-spiced with bewildering combinations of nutmeg, cinnamon, and the existential dread of a cold weekend. This is not that soup. This is the version that turns roasted pumpkin into something dense, sweet, and subtly smoky, with crackling sage leaves on top because every bowl deserves a textural moment.
It takes one tray, one pot, and about an hour. Most of which is the oven doing the work while you do something else.
Why roast first, not boil
Boiled pumpkin gives you wet pumpkin. Roasted pumpkin gives you concentrated, slightly caramelised pumpkin with depth. The difference is the difference between a soup that tastes like background music and a soup that tastes like a meal. Don’t skip the roasting.
Pumpkin and Sage Soup (Australian Winter Comfort)
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg pumpkin (Kent or butternut), peeled and cubed
- 1 large brown onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 L vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/2 cup thickened cream plus extra to serve
- 12 fresh sage leaves
- 2 tbsp butter for crisping the sage
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Spread pumpkin, onion, and garlic on a large tray. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Roast 35 minutes until the pumpkin is tender and lightly caramelised at the edges.
- Transfer roasted veg to a large pot. Add stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Blend with a stick blender until completely smooth. Add more stock if you like a thinner soup.
- Stir in the cream. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Crisp the sage: melt butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add sage leaves and fry 30-45 seconds until they crackle. Drain on paper towel.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with extra cream, top with crispy sage leaves and a final crack of black pepper.
Nutrition
Notes
Loved This Recipe?
You'll love my Recipe Books!Serving suggestions
Crusty sourdough is the obvious side. Goat’s cheese crumbled on top works incredibly well. A swirl of pesto or chilli oil if you want to dress it up. A glass of crisp white wine (sauvignon blanc) cuts through the richness perfectly.
This is Bowl Number One in Heat & Serve’s pumpkin section. The book has variants with coconut and lemongrass, with chorizo, with apple, and with curry paste, depending on which way you want to lean.