Pumpkin Soup with Hazelnut Sage Pesto
Autumn soups are always so delightful! They are hearty and rich; they warm the belly! This Pumpkin Soup is no exception. It is an easy version in that it uses pumpkin purée vs roasted pumpkins. I’ll confess that I started this recipe making a roasted pumpkin soup. It was difficult to find the sugar pie pumpkins that you need and the roasting added quite a bit of time. I felt that for the effort, this was a better result!
The flavor of this soup is autumnal: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. All the spices that tell you the weather is changing and the holidays are upon us. Homey, delicious…
Now, let’s talk about the Hazelnut Sage Pesto…I could eat this stuff by the spoonful, it’s that good! It’s such a unique pesto: it combines arugula and sage for the greens, roasted hazelnuts instead of the traditional pine nuts, and Pecorino Romano cheese in place of the Parmesan we typically use. Add to that a kicker of lemon juice, honey and balsamic vinegar, and it takes it to a new level. I will confess that I’ve spread it on toast, drizzled it over fish, and yes, eaten it by the spoonful! It makes this soup pop!
Enjoy!
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Pumpkin Soup with Hazelnut Sage Pesto
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 15-ounce cans pumpkin purée
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Hazelnut Sage Pesto:
- 2 cups packed arugula
- 1/2 cup packed sage leaves
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts plus 2 tbsp for garnish (See Chef’s Note)
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
Add the garlic, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to the onions and stir constantly for one minute. Add 1/4 cup of the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.Add the remaining chicken broth, water, and pumpkin purée and stir to combine. Turn heat to low and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.Turn the stove off and use a handheld immersion blender to puree the soup. Alternately, use a regular blender and puree the soup in 2-3 batches. Stir the heavy cream into the soup, top with Hazelnut Sage Pesto and chopped toasted hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
To Make Hazelnut Sage Pesto:
Add the arugula, sage, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, balsamic, roasted hazelnuts, and pecorino romano cheese to a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the extra-virgin olive oil until incorporated. Season with salt to taste.
Chef’s Note:
To roast hazelnuts, spread whole, raw hazelnuts onto a sheet pan. Roast them in a 400°F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the skins are deeply golden and loose. Place all of the roasted hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub them all together to loosen the skins. Discard the skins. Allow the hazelnuts to cool. Roughly chop them.
Recipe adapted from The Salty Marshmallow and The Original Dish
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