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This roasted pumpkin soup with almonds and sage is my very first savory pumpkin recipe. Until now, I’ve only eaten pumpkin as a dessert in pumpkin pie and in bread like the recipe I shared with you last week.
Being born on Halloween was one of the coolest days of the year to be born, especially as a child. Growing up I pretty much partied all day long. I would wake up and open presents before going to school, participated in Halloween parties at school, then I would ride the school bus home, dress up in my costume, go out trick-or-treating with other neighborhood kids, then meet up from a Halloween party at church, leave there and come home have a Dairy Queen ice cream birthday cake. I did this every year for the first 12 years of my life until I wasn’t able to go trick-or-treating anymore. After those 12 years, my birthday has been pretty boring.
As a child, I knew my birthday was coming soon, whenever J.T. Ferguson brought me the biggest, bright orange pumpkin from his garden. J.T. was a hired hand on my daddy’s farm growing up. He always made me feel special and put up with me getting in his way, until that one day he couldn’t deal and told my mama on me (I deserved it). J.T. was a kindhearted man with three children of his own. He eventually left our farm to go and work somewhere else. To me, the farm was never really the same after he left and I’m not sure daddy ever found anyone that dependable and I miss him calling me “Jack Rabbit” and his contagious laugh.
All those years ago, if you had told me, the tomboy I used to be growing up on the farm, that I would be eating pumpkin soup, I would have laughed in your face! But I didn’t know just how good it would be! This easy vegetarian roasted pumpkin soup with almonds and sage is a creamy, velvety smooth soup, yet healthy way to start any fall dinner or as a dinner with crusty bread right by itself.
The original recipe boasts about how canned pumpkin is quite good, saving you lots of time and effort, but honestly, roasting a pumpkin is not that hard. For this recipe, I roasted the sugar pumpkin the day before I made the soup. A medium-sized (3 to 4 pound) sugar pumpkin typically yields about 1½ cups of mashed pumpkin. The hardest part is cutting open the pumpkin. It only takes an hour and you can practically do that while watching your favorite show on television. If you opt to use canned pumpkin instead, make sure you get canned pumpkin and not pie filling, as the pie filling is loaded with sugar and spices that would clash in this savory soup.
Besides the roasted pumpkin, I think my favorite part of this soup is the roasted almonds. Not only do they help thicken the soup, but they also provide a crunchy topping as a garnish that I love because I am such a crunch lover. Another great thing about this soup is that David liked it just as much as I did and he doesn’t really care for almonds. Score!
How To Make Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Almonds and Sage:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Cut the stem off of the pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin in half. Using a spoon, scrape out the insides well; discard seeds and pulp. Lay the pumpkin halves cut-side down. Rub the oil all over the outside skin; bake for 1 hour, or until fork-tender. Cool completely.
Using a large spoon, scoop out the pulp from the roasted pumpkin; dump the pulp directly into the soup or storage container to put in the fridge if making ahead.
Make the Soup:
Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add sage leaves and allow them to become fragrant. Add in the onions, cover and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions have slightly started to brown.
While the onion is browning, coarsely chop ¼ cup of the almonds; set aside.
Whisk the flour and ¼ cup of the vegetable broth; stir it into the pot with the onions. Add remaining ½ cup almonds, remaining 2 ¾ cups broth, the pumpkin, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat; simmer 5 to 7 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure pumpkin mixture does not stick.
Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth or transfer the soup in batches to a food processor or blender; puree, then return the soup back to the pot.
Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with reserved ¼ cup chopped almonds and scallions.
I served our soup with crusty bread.
Recipe Notes:
This is a very thick soup, but if you feel it is too thick, add about ¼ cup of the vegetable broth or water at a time until you reach the desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
I hope you will enjoy this soup for Meatless Monday while remembering some of your favorite Halloween memories.
Want to share a memory? Comment below, we’d love to hear your story.
Happy Halloween!
Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Almonds and Sage
Ingredients
- 4 pound sugar pumpkin Medium-sided, about 3 to 4 pounds
- extra virgin olive oil for oiling pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 sage leaves
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted sliced roasted almonds divided
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups vegetable broth divided
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons scallions chopped for serving
Instructions
Roast the Pumpkin:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Cut the stem off of the pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin in half. Using a spoon, scrape out the insides well; discard seeds and pulp. Lay the pumpkin halves cut-side down. Rub the oil all over the outside skin; bake for 1 hour, or until fork-tender. Cool completely.
- Using a large spoon, scoop out the pulp from the roasted pumpkin; dump the pulp directly into the soup or storage container to put in the fridge if making ahead.
Make the Soup:
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add sage leaves and allow them to become fragrant. Add in the onions, cover and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions have slightly started to brown.
- While onion is browning, coarsely chop ¼ cup of the almonds; set aside.
- Whisk the flour and ¼ cup of the vegetable broth; stir it into the pot with the onions. Add remaining ½ cup almonds, remaining 2 ¾ cups broth, the pumpkin, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat; simmer 5 to 7 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure pumpkin mixture does not stick.
- Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth or transfer the soup in batches to a food processor or blender; puree, then return the soup back to the pot.
- Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with reserved ¼ cup chopped almonds and scallions.
Notes
Nutrition
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I just love fresh sage and the idea of combining it with pumpkin sounds amazing. Happy Birthday my friend!
Awe, Thanks Julie!
My mouth is watering! This soup sounds amazing and perfect for the season! I love almonds and I bet they taste great in this!
Hi Jenny! You’ll love this soup. I loved the almonds. I will definitely be looking for other recipes to help thicken. ?
My oldest son is also a Halloween baby lol
Sage is great I let it go crispy and sprinkle extra on top as garnish
Enjoy your day
M
Yum! Happy birthday to your son (early)!! Thanks for stopping by!
I can smell the sage from here and I have a bowl with me if you can ladle that delicious soup. Have a good day!
Haha! I would gladly Liz. Hope you have a great day also!
I’m back to see if there were any left overs?
Not this time! ?
A Halloween birthday – how cool! Happy (early) birthday 🙂 This pumpkin soup looks so inviting – and I love the addition of almonds for texture!
Hi Mara! Thanks for the birthday wishes. I hope you’ll try this soup. It was delicious! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Yum! I love a good hearty thick soup. Belated Happy Birthday to you 🙂
Hi Donna! Thanks for the birthday wishes. 🙂