When autumn gently settles in garden, before first frosts appear, it is high time to harvest your beautiful pumpkins. Delicious mashed, in a gratin, this orange squash is best enjoyed in a homemade soup. But how to prepare your pumpkin? Which spices pair well with it? Discover our simple pumpkin soup recipe and tips to elevate it.
Pumpkin and winter squash, what differences?
- Although they belong to same family Cucurbitaceae and originate from South America, pumpkin and winter squash are two different varieties: species Cucurbita pepo for pumpkin, like pattypans, courgettes or spaghetti squash, and species Curcubita maxima for winter squash and kabocha.
- Shape is also different: pumpkin has a round shape, orange colour, which is why it is mainly used to make famous Halloween pumpkin. Winter squash is more ovate, even flattened, and its colour ranges from orange to dark green.
- Flavour also differs: pumpkin flesh is stringy, whereas winter squash flesh is sweeter and more tender.
- Peduncle of pumpkin is hard with five angular facets, whereas peduncle of winter squash is spongy, soft and looks like a cork.
Left, a pumpkin; right, a winter squash
When and how to harvest pumpkin
Pumpkin is usually harvested in October, before first frosts, or up to mid-March if grown under glass. Pick pumpkin when its peduncle becomes dry and woody. Using a clean pruning shear, cut stem 3–4 cm above squash, leaving that small piece of peduncle. Remove any traces of soil. Pumpkin can be stored all winter, indoors or in a cool room.
Which part of pumpkin is edible?
In pumpkin, everything is edible except stem. Pumpkin flesh is mainly used for soup, a velouté, purée or gratin. Pumpkin skin can also be eaten, but its taste and toughness depend on variety. Generally, smaller pumpkin varieties have more tender skin, like squash 'Jack Be Little'. You can also use peels to make chips, cheese crisps or a velvety pumpkin bark soup. Pumpkin seeds can be roasted to enjoy as a snack, in salad or in a bowl of muesli.
Pumpkin soup recipe
Ingredients :
- one pumpkin;
- 2–3 potatoes;
- 200 ml water;
- 200 ml milk;
- 1 heaped tablespoon crème fraîche;
- 20 g butter;
- 1 tablespoon sugar;
- 1 pinch salt;
- Facultative: 1 teaspoon nutmeg and pepper.
Cooking time :
35 minutes
Recipe :
- 1/ Peel pumpkin if you do not like skin, then cut in half with a knife.
- 2/ Using tablespoon, remove seeds.
- 3/ Then cut pumpkin flesh into cubes.
Peel then cube pumpkin
- 4/ Peel potatoes, then dice them as well.
- 5/ Melt a knob of butter in a large saucepan, stockpot or casserole, then sauté pumpkin and potato cubes for a few minutes.
- 6/ Add water, milk, sugar and facultatively spices you wish: nutmeg, pepper, etc.
- 7/ Cook for 30 minutes over medium heat.
- 8/ Blend everything, then add a spoonful of crème fraîche and adjust seasoning if needed.
My tips :
- You can replace cow's milk with coconut milk. In that case, I add some carrots to my soup and 1 teaspoon curry powder. Delicious!
- If you replace pumpkin with sweeter winter squash, no need to add granulated sugar. You can also replace sugar with honey.
- You can keep pips to make another recipe: roasted squash seeds.
- Small pumpkin varieties, like squash 'Jack Be Little', can be used as bowls to serve your soup after hollowing them out.
Which spice pairs with pumpkin?
Generally, warm spices pair best with this autumnal soup: nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, chilli, and also curry. You can also add a few herbs, such as parsley, chives, tarragon or chervil.
What are pumpkin's benefits?
Pumpkin and its seeds are said to have diuretic, depurative and anti-inflammatory properties. In 19th century it was also used as an anthelmintic. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, phosphorus and beta-carotin.
To go further :
- Discover all our varieties of squash.
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