Pumpkin, Pear & Ginger Soup

#FlashbackFriday and get ready for Fall with this easy, one smartpoint pumpkin, pear & ginger soup. I received a Sugar Pie Pumpkin in my Farm Box, I had so many ideas of what I could do with it.  Should I keep it as a souvenir, carve or roast it, bake with it, make homemade pumpkin butter or try making a sweet, spicy or savory pumpkin soup?

Since fall is all about soups and I have been on a soup kick lately, the soup totally won!  This Fresh Pumpkin and Pear Soup is so incredibly easy to make and it can even be prepared in advance, stored in the fridge then reheated over medium heat before serving.

This savory pumpkin soup is creamy without having to add any creamer, slightly sweet from the caramelized pears and onions with a little spicy ginger kick.  The fresh thyme and sage brighten the flavor making this soup make you think of fall and all the season entails.

Enjoy it as is to start off your Thanksgiving Feast or make it a meal by topping it with fresh crunchy pears, tart and tangy cranberries and a few salty pumpkin seeds for crunch.

PUMPKIN, PEAR & GINGER SOUP (print it!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sugar pie pumpkin (about 3 lbs.), peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 in cubes
• 2 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
• 1 fresh thyme sprig
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 5 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
• 2 pears, cored and chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar, divided
• sea salt & black pepper to taste
• Toppings: fresh pear, dried cranberries & pumpkin seeds, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  In a large soup pan, add the pumpkin, sage, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes and broth. Add as much broth and/or additional water as needed to cover the pumpkin.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the pumpkin has softened.  Stir in 2 Tbsp brown sugar, remove from heat and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, pear and ginger cooking until they have softened, about 8-10.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp brown sugar.

3.  Remove the thyme sprig from the pumpkin soup pan.  Add the pear onion mixture to the pumpkin soup and puree in batches in the blender or using a submersion blender.

4.  Divide into 8 bowls and serve with the toppings on the side for everyone to add as they desire.

Makes 8 heaping 1 cup servings, 1 WWFreestyle SmartPoint, 3 points+, 100% Simply Filling (excluding toppings)

Nutritional information per serving for all ingredients excluding toppings:

STEP – BY – STEP:

You can use any edible squash for this recipe, such as sugar pie pumpkin, butternut or kabocha squash.  You will need about 3 lbs or approximately 6-7 cups of cubed squash.

Make sure you save you pumpkin seeds when you scoop them out.  I have an incredibly easy “How-To” roast pumpkin seeds coming up for you all this week.

In a large soup pan, add your pumpkin and fresh herbs.  Fresh herbs work best, however, you could use dried herbs, but, reduce the quantity by 1/2.

Add your broth and crushed red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is softened.

While the pumpkin boils, saute your onion, pears and ginger in olive oil over medium heat.

Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp of brown sugar.  You can use golden or dark, both will give the onion/pear mixture that sweet caramelized taste.

Remove the fresh thyme sprig and add in the “caramelized” onion, pears and ginger.

Puree in batches using a blender or submersion blender until smooth.

You could eat this soup straight up or top it with just a little diced fresh pear.

However, I like to add in several different textures and flavors by pairing the fresh pears (no play on words intended!) with tart cranberries and salty, crunchy, fresh roasted pumpkin seeds.

I will see you all tomorrow with my how-to for roasting pumpkin seeds and a giveaway, then, it’s back to my daily eats.

Night all!