Kürbissuppe- Savory German Pumpkin Soup
Rich and flavorful Kürbissuppe, German Pumpkin Soup, is for perfect for Fall. You can serve it as a meal or a starter. And with a few simple changes, the recipe can be vegetarian or even vegan.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Soup Pot
- Sheet Pan Line with parchment paper for easy clean up
- Immersion Blender or Blender
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ pounds Pumpkin Chunks 1.5 Kilo I used half of an 8½ pound pumpkin. Cut it in half, seeded it, peeled it, and cut it into chunks.
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium Onion Peel and dice
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 4 ¼ cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock 1 Liter
- 1-2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
Topping
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (without shell)
Instructions
Prepare Pumpkin
- Preheat oven to 425℉
- Cut Pumpkin in half, remove seeds and stringy insides. I found it easier to cut into wedges first, then peel the wedges, then cut into 2 inch chunks. Weigh the pieces, you need around 3.3 lb. or 1.5 kilo. It doesn't need to be exact.
- In a bowl, toss the pumpkin chunks with the olive oil, place on the baking sheet, and roast for 25-30 minutes at 425℉.
- Remove from oven and set aside. You can start the next steps while the oven is roasting.
Make Pumpkin Soup
- In a Dutch Oven or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion, and cook, stirring, to soften the onion approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the roasted Pumpkin Chunks and Chicken or Vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Cover with a lid, then let simmer for 20 minutes
- Test that the pumpkin is fork tender by poking it with a knife or fork. If not, simmer an additional 5 minutes.Add lemon juice.Use an immersion blender to completely puree the pumpkin and onion.
- Add nutmeg, stir.Taste for salt and pepper.
Serving
- Ladle the soup into bowls, Optional- top with a bit of cream (you can swirl it to make it pretty) Sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds
Notes
If you are in a hurry, you can skip the roasting step and just put the cut up pumpkin into the soup pot with the softened onions. Cook 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is knife-tender.
I prefer chicken stock, but vegetable stock makes the soup vegetarian friendly.
You can serve with a drizzle of cream, or add the cream with the seasonings, or leave it out altogether if you want a vegan soup.