Pumpkin Sage Soup

About This Recipe

Pumpkin sage soup pairs sweet pumpkin with the savoury aroma of sage and a restrained cream finish. Cider vinegar gives balance, while toasted pumpkin seeds add crunch. The soup should be smooth without tasting like a dessert purée.

Equipment

• ✓ Soup saucepan
• ✓ Knife and board
• ✓ Ladle
• ✓ Immersion blender or blender approved for the liquid temperature
• ✓ Baking tray or grill-safe dish

Ingredients

• 900 g pumpkin flesh, 3 cm cubes
• 140 g onion, sliced
• 20 g garlic
• 35 ml olive oil
• 900 ml vegetable stock
• 80 ml cream
• 10 fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 25 g pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 15 ml cider vinegar
• Salt and black pepper

Easy Step-by-Step Method

Complete one numbered step before moving to the next. Keep the heat and timing exactly as written.

Chef Notes & Tips

Roasting removes excess water and gives pumpkin soup deeper flavour than boiling raw cubes.

Ingredient choices: Weigh prepared pumpkin flesh after removing seeds and peel. Different pumpkins release different amounts of water. Dry sage leaves before any hot-oil cooking and measure nutmeg carefully.

Cooking control: Cook pumpkin until completely tender and follow the roasting or simmering sequence in the method. Blend with appropriate equipment, then adjust stock and cream. Taste vinegar after the pumpkin sweetness is clear.

If something goes wrong: A watery soup may need less stock for a moist pumpkin variety. Bitter sage likely cooked too far. If the flavour is overly sweet, adjust acid and salt in small increments rather than adding more cream.

Ingredient Substitutions

• ↔ Butternut squash can replace pumpkin; coconut cream makes it dairy-free.

Food Safety & Doneness

Wash produce and use clean utensils. Keep perishable ingredients refrigerated. Refrigerate cooked food in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the surroundings exceed 32°C. For hot soup, use an immersion blender with its head submerged, or cool sufficiently before using a blender approved for warm liquids. Never seal hot soup in a closed cup blender.

Serving & Plating

Serve with toasted seeds and the prepared sage garnish. Keep the garnish crisp by adding it immediately before eating.

Storage

Refrigerate promptly in shallow covered containers at 4°C or below and use within 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed to at least 74°C throughout. Discard food left unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C.