Miniature Pumpkin Soup in the Shell
Submitted by speedy
Miniature pumpkin soup served in hollowed roasted pumpkin shells with sage, onion, and Parmesan. Dramatic individual-portion fall starter that doubles as edible tableware.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minEight tiny pumpkins become both ingredient and serving vessel here. Half get roasted and scraped completely clean to make the soup, the other half get hollowed but kept intact so each person at the table gets their own steaming pumpkin to crack open like a tiny edible tureen.
Roasting cut-side down on an oiled sheet pan caramelizes the squash and concentrates the flavor in a way that boiling never will. Pull the reserved lids out at the 20-minute mark since they cook faster than the bodies. The pulp comes out with a spoon once they cool.
Fresh sage bloomed in butter is the aromatic backbone, with chicken broth carrying the soup. A quick puree gives you a silky base. The reveal happens at the table when the lid comes off and steam rises with a hit of Parmesan and parsley.
Chef Tips
- Pick mini pumpkins with sturdy stems and no soft spots so they hold up to roasting and serving.
- Reheat the hollowed shells before filling so the soup doesn’t go lukewarm on first ladle.
- Save the seeds, rinse and roast with salt and olive oil for a snack while you cook.
- Use vegetable broth instead of chicken to make it fully vegetarian.
Variations
- Add a splash of cream or a swirl of crème fraîche before serving for richness.
- Spike the puree with a pinch of nutmeg or smoked paprika.
- Swap Parmesan for crumbled goat cheese or a few toasted pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the top ¼ off 4 pumpkins, reserving the lids and discard the seeds.
Cut the remaining pumpkins in half and discard the seeds.
Bake the pumpkins (including the reserved lids), cut side down, on lightly oiled baking sheets in a preheated 350℉ (180℃) oven for 40 minutes or until they are tender.
(Remove the lids after about 20 minutes.)
When they are cool enough to handle, scrape all the pulp out of the halved pumpkins.
Scrape most of the pulp out of the remaining pumpkins, leaving just enough in each so that it retains its shape.
In a skillet cook the onion in the butter over low heat, stirring, until it is softened.
Add the sage and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the pumpkin pulp and chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
Purée the mixture in batches in a blender and transfer it to a saucepan.
Stir in salt and pepper to taste and water to thin the soup if necessary.
Ladle about ½ cup of soup into each of 4 heated soup bowls and put one of the hollowed-out reheated pumpkin shells on top.
Fill each pumpkin shell with the soup and garnish with a sprinkling of the Parmesan and some of the parsley if desired.
Top with the reserved lids.
Comments
