A Fall Favorite Pumpkin Soup

This is the time for anything pumpkin. It’s everywhere from doughnuts and muffins to lattes. However my favorite pumpkin recipe is a savory one. It’s a family recipe from Piedmont and it’s several generations old. I imagine the original was made with squash but was changed to pumpkin as the gourd became more available in Northern Italy.

There are several different recipes out there for pumpkin soup. Some have a variety if ingredients such as curry , cumin and coriander. Some call for a dash of hot pepper or smoked bacon. I prefer our recipe that has one can of pumpkin pie mix, or fresh pumpkin, sauteed onions, chicken broth and whole milk. These are cooked and simmered together to form a thick but creamy bisque like soup. We add long grained white rice to it to for more texture and flavor (I don’t recommend alborio ), I gild the lily and add a huge dollop of butter to my bowl . It just gives it more richness and somehow heightens the pumpkin taste.

My family’s recipe is so rich and flavorful that we don’t serve it with anything else. We nix the usual go withs like salads or sandwiches. There’s no way we’re going to sully this soup’s flavor with other tastes. We also forgo crackers and bread. It’s just best on its’ own like risotto Milanese or polenta with hunter gravy.

There’s nothing like a good pumpkin soup. I‘m lucky to have an excellent generations old recipe in my family. I plan on making it this season, it’ll be wonderful to enjoy the savory pumpkin mixed with buttery onions and creamy milk.