Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

This pumpkin and sweet potato soup with feta is one of my all-time favorite wintry soups! Sweet and savory, flavored with fresh herbs, warm spices, and a hint of smoked paprika. With a thick and starchy texture, you can also serve as a puree!

Why It's The Best Pumpkin Soup

You're going to love the flavors of this pumpkin and sweet potato soup. For one, the sharp and salty feta cheese combined with the sweet potatoes and sweet pumpkin, is one of the most delicious combinations.

For two, roasting the pumpkin makes its flavor even stronger and yummier. Thirdly, the herbs and smoked paprika enhance the roasted flavor of the pumpkin.

Ingredients

• Pumpkin: Cinderella, Sugar Pie, Butternut, etc.
• Sweet Potato
• Onion: I'm using red onions
• Orange juice: You can also use Clementine juice it's even better!
• Fresh thyme
• Sage
• Feta cheese
• Smoked Paprika
• Ground Allspice
• Ground Nutmeg

How To Roast Pumpkin

To make this pumpkin and sweet potato soup I roasted a 3.5 kg pumpkin (7.7 pounds) and used about a kilogram of its flesh. I got leftovers from this so a pumpkin that's 3 to 3.5 kg (6.6 to 7.7 pounds) will do.

To roast the pumpkin for pumpkin soup, first, rinse it and rub off any dirt. Then cut it in half and scoop the insides clean.

Brush the inside of the pumpkin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the pumpkin facing down on a parchment-paper-lined sheet pan.

Roast the pumpkin at 200°C / 390°F for 50 minutes to 1 hour until it's very tender when you run a knife through it. Allow to cool enough to handle then scoop the flesh with a spoon and voila! The roasted pumpkin is ready to be used.

To Make Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

You need to cook the onions first, almost caramelize them, this equals more sweetness to the dish.

Next, add the herbs, and sweet potatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the orange or clementine juice and cook until it drains almost completely. Add the feta cheese and the spices and pour in some hot water or stock. Cook over low heat covered, until the potatoes are completely tender when you prick them with a fork.

Add the roasted pumpkin flesh and cook for 10 minutes more for the flavors to combine, and lastly pulse the soup using an immersion blender.

Make Ahead + Storing

You can roast the pumpkin and keep the scooped flesh it in the fridge for up to 4 days. This way you can make the soup any time you want more quickly. You can also make the roasted pumpkin soup and keep it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Also, you can store in glass food containers in the freezer for up to 2 months.

TIPS

1. The more you roast the pumpkin and the more of its water drains the stronger the flavor will be.
2. The same goes for the onions, saute to the point of caramelization. That delicious onion sweetness goes hand in hand with the other sweet flavors of the soup, that of pumpkin and sweet potatoes.
3. Use homemade vegetable or chicken stock for extra flavor and more nutrition.
4. This is a thick and starchy soup with a puree-like consistency so you can easily serve it as a side dish to roasted meat (try this Roasted Pork Shoulder With Orange for example) or to fish dishes like this Glazed Salmon.
5. You can easily adjust the thickness by adding in more water or stock when pulsing the soup.

Serve With

I like serving this pumpkin feta soup with cayenne pepper and some Buckwheat crackers, or when I'm out of crackers with some homemade garlic croutons. You can sprinkle some extra crumbled feta cheese on top, or serve with a crisp Greek Feta Cheese Saganaki on the side.

Recipe