Pumpkin Soup with Leek—an Autumn Splendor

A bowl of soup with carrots and onions.

Do you feel like a creamy, soft puréed soup when it’s cold out? Thyme-scented pumpkin soup is easy and fast to prepare.  Just a few ingredients and you can create a low-calorie soup rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Nothing says autumn like pumpkin.

A bowl of soup with carrots and onions.

Keep in mind, however, that pumpkin and potatoes are very rich in starch which turn into glucose during the digestive processes, which may affect your glycemia, or concentration of sugar in your blood. Add some oat bran, and your soup will be even healthier. Pumpkin is not a side vegetable because it provides you with a significant share of carbs, so combine it with a serving of meat or fish and a nice crisp salad.

I have learned to make this soup recently because I appreciate the sweet and soft taste of pumpkin in other dishes, like cappellacci, hat-like pasta filled with pumpkin. I had never thought pumpkin would go well in a soup and was really surprised by the positive results, so have a try. It’s easy to make. 

A bowl of soup with onions and leeks.

What you need:

  • Choose a winter squash. Its flesh is creamy and compact and gets really tender when cooked. In the US, the best cooking pumpkins are butternut or sugar pumpkins. If you buy a whole one, cut it up and put the pieces you don’t use in the freezer. If you are running low on prep time, you can always use canned pumpkin purée, which is easy to find and to substitute.
  • Potatoes: Any potatoes fit the recipe, but Yukon Gold works well.
  • Leeks: Their taste combines perfectly with pumpkin. Use them over onions because they are softer and more delicate. They enhance but do not affect the pumpkin taste. Leeks are very rich in potassium, magnesium, and vitamins and contain a lot of fiber, which  help to regulate your gut.
  • Thyme: buy a small plant of thyme and grow it in your kitchen or in your garden if you have one. Fresh leaves are more flavorful than dried ones. You will use it a lot since herbs play a very important role in Italian cooking.
  • Oat bran: It is high in soluble fiber, promotes healthy digestion, and helps to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases like diabetes.

Thyme scented pumpkin pureed soup with leek

Pumpkin, it is so good! It tastes autumnal, warm, and familiar. Yet, pumpkin is tricky, as it has got a quite high glycemic index, so it is not suitable for those who suffer from glycemic disorders, or insulin resistance.
You should treat it in the same way as carbs, and combine it with proteins, and plenty of vegetables. This is my own pumpkin pureed soup.
Course Soup
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword pumpking soup with thyme and leek
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Print

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups of chopped leek (200g)
  • 3 cups of butternut or sugar pumpkin OR a 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée (400g)
  • 3/4 cups of yellow potatoes 
  • 4-5 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 tbs of butter (30g)
  • Coarse salt
  • Ground pepper 
  • Ground oat bran
  • Toasted cubed bread 
  • Extra virgin olive oil to garnish each bowl
Servings 4 people

Instructions

  • Slice off the root end of the leek and the dark green top. Slice the leek in half lengthwise. Place both halves cut side down and cut them into thin half-moon pieces.  Since leeks have lots of sand and dirt between the layers, place the slices in a bowl of water. The sand will settle to the bottom. Scoop the leeks out of the bowl with your hands so the sand stays on the bottom of the bowl;
  • Cut the skin off the pumpkin; then cut into coarse chunks and rinse them. If using canned pumpkin, skip this step;
  • Peel, rinse, and cut the potatoes into cubes;
  • In a stock pot, heat the butter and brown the leek pieces and thyme together;
  • Add the squash and the potatoes and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes;
  • Remove the thyme; if you want more fiber, add some oat bran and blend with an immersion blender;
  • If it is too liquid, you may boil it for a few minutes more. If it is too thick, add some hot water;
  • Garnish your soup with a little extra virgin olive oil, some fresh thyme leaves, and some toasted bread cubes;
  • If some pureed soup has been left over, keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days, or put it into glass containers and freeze;

Notes

If some pureed soup has been left, keep it in the fridge for no ore than 2 days, or put it into one serving containers and store in the freezer.
A person holding a bowl of soup with vegetables and herbs.

Don’t miss any recipe! Subscribe to Stefania’s Newsletter

2 thoughts on “Pumpkin Soup with Leek—an Autumn Splendor

  1. Hello, I enjoy reading through your article.
    I like to write a little comment to support you.

    Feel free to visit my blog post Tonia

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *