I love Panera as much as the next guy, but am I wrong in thinking that their prices have skyrocketed through the roof? My husband, youngest and I went there recently for research for the Autumn Squash Soup and Spicy Take Chicken Sandwich and 3 sandwiches and 3 cups of soup came to $57!
When I started my YouTube channel and this website, I had two main goals. The first was to serve my community of viewers that live far from their favorite restaurants. And the second was to serve restaurant recipes for my community that is tired of paying the expensive restaurant bill at the end of the meal. Having delicious restaurant recipes shouldn’t have to be a luxury.
I LOVE that I can do this for y’all.
I am climbing off my soap box now…
Let’s talk about this delicious soup. This vegetarian pumpkin and squash soup is hearty and comforting. And it hits just the right notes with the aromatic spices like, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and curry. You can use canned pumpkin if you’d like. Just substitute the roasted pumpkin for 3 cups of canned. But, I feel the roasted pumpkin gives the soup a richer flavor. And since you have to roast the butternut squash, anyways, using canned doesn’t really save a step.
When you puree the soup, you have 2 options. You can use either an immersion blender or a kitchen blender. In my opinion, the kitchen blender with give you a creamier, more consistent, bisque-like texture. Just use caution when using the blender, so that the hot soup doesn’t explode from the trapped steam. I have had this misadventure happen to me before and it was not fun! Work in small batches. Only fill the canister half way with the hot soup and remove the steam plug from the lid to allow the steam to escape.
Feel like more soup recipes? Try the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscano or Ruth’s Chris Potato Leek and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 3lb. (approx.) baking pumpkin
- 1 3lb. (approx.) butternut squash
- ¾ cup white onion, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup carrot, roughly chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 TBL EVOO
- ½ tsp. ginger powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. ground white pepper
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. curry powder
- 2 cardamom pods
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1/3 cup apple juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt to taste
- Pepitas for garnish topping
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the pumpkin and squash in half and remove seeds. On a parchment-lined sheet tray, place pumpkin and squash face down. Add about ½” water to bottom of sheet tray and bake the pumpkin and squash for about 1 hour & 15 minutes. When the squash skins are browned and the squash is soft to the touch, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Once cooled, remove the pumpkin and squash flesh from the skins and place into a large bowl. Remove any pieces of skin or seeds that may remain.
In a very large Dutch oven or stockpot, and on a high heat, add the EVOO. Once the oil shimmers, add the chopped carrots and onions. Cook until the carrots are softened and onions become translucent. Add the vegetable broth, seasonings (minus the salt), brown sugar, lemon juice and apple juice. Mix ingredients in stock pot. Add the roasted pumpkin and squash flesh and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low, cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Once the soup has been simmering for 25-30 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Using either an immersion blender or a kitchen blender, puree the soup. If using a kitchen blender, work in small batches and read my post notes above, for safety.
Season with salt to taste. Serve in soup bowls and top with Pepitas and enjoy!
For more great soup recipes, check out my Ruth’s Chris Potato Leek Soup and my Olive Garden’s Tuscan Soup
FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL
