Description
Hearty pumpkin chestnut soup showcases autumn’s warmth with robust ingredients from Italian countryside kitchens. Rich flavors meld together, offering comfort and depth that welcome cooler seasonal evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large pumpkin (3 lbs / 1.36 kg)
- 8 cups (1.9 liters) chicken or vegetable broth
- 6 oz (170 g) vacuum-packed chestnuts
- 2 ripe pears
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ bunch of sage (⅓ oz / 9 g)
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ¾ oz (21 g) dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 rustic French baguette (7 oz / 198 g)
- 3½ oz (99 g) crumbly goat’s cheese
- olive oil
- sea salt
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Halve and cube pumpkin, removing seeds and skin. Salt and let rest to release moisture. Rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms in hot water.
- Flavor Development: Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add cinnamon stick and half the sage leaves. Pat pumpkin dry and sauté for 10 minutes, creating caramelized edges. Introduce finely chopped onions and pears, cooking for 15 minutes until vegetables soften and develop deep flavors.
- Liquid Integration: Strain porcini mushroom liquid, carefully avoiding sediment. Pour mushroom liquid and broth into the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick midway. Cool completely and refrigerate overnight to intensify flavor profile.
- Garnish Preparation: Reheat soup to serving temperature. In a separate skillet, crisp remaining sage leaves in olive oil. Mince garlic and porcini mushrooms. Add chestnuts, creating a spreadable mixture. Toast baguette slices, spread chestnut mixture, and crumble goat cheese on top.
- Final Presentation: Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with crispy sage leaves, and serve with prepared chestnut-topped baguette slices.
Notes
- Moisture Management: Pat pumpkin cubes completely dry after salting to ensure proper caramelization and prevent soggy texture during sautéing.
- Flavor Layering: Infuse cinnamon stick and sage leaves early to develop deep, complex aromatic undertones throughout the cooking process.
- Overnight Resting Technique: Refrigerate soup after initial cooking to allow ingredients to meld and intensify flavor profiles, creating a more robust taste experience.
- Textural Contrast: Create a crispy sage and chestnut topping to add crunch and richness, transforming the soup from simple to gourmet with minimal extra effort.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg