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Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Pepita Pesto

October 25, 2010 by Nicole 34 Comments

Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Pepita Pesto, Pomegranate Arils, and Cotija Cheese | pinchmysalt.com

I don’t always love pumpkin soup.  So many winter squash soup recipes out there are very sweet and seasoned with either pumpkin pie spices or store-bought curry powder.  I do love pumpkin pie, but I prefer to eat it after dinner.  I know there’s a reason these flavor combinations are so prevalent – winter squash is absolutely delicious mixed with warm spices and sugar.  I just prefer something a little different in my soup bowl.

This spicy, smoky, and creamy soup is exactly what I was hoping for.  Brightened with a dollop of cilantro-pepita pesto and a generous squeeze of lime juice, it was really hard to stop after one bowl (so I didn’t).  I had some pomegranate arils in the fridge so I added a handful to my bowl along with a sprinkling of crumbled Cotija cheese.  The sweet crunch of the pomegranate seeds and the salty cheese were perfect with the soup and pesto.  And the more lime juice I squeezed on top, the better it tasted.

I used a pumpkin by the name of Calabaza de Castilla, or Castillo Squash.  I think it’s also known as a Fairytale Pumpkin.  These are very similar to the pumpkins that I remember eating in Sicily – big and meaty with light-colored skin and dark orange flesh.  They have a wonderful flavor similar to butternut squash.  I bought my pumpkin at my favorite Mexican Supermarket and was able to purchase a large chunk rather than the entire pumpkin – much easier to deal with!

Castilla Squash or Fairytale Pumpkins at the grocery store | pinchmysalt.com

I roasted it like any other winter squash – cut into big chunks, placed cut-side down in a baking dish, and baked at 375 degrees until fork tender (a little over an hour for this one).  After letting it cool, I scooped the flesh from the skin and used it in my soup.  I didn’t bother making a puree from the pumpkin because I knew I’d be pureeing the entire soup later.  Although I used Castillo Squash for my soup, you may substitute any roasted pumpkin or winter squash.  Canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) would be fine, too.

Nutrition

Calories

136 cal

Fat

9 g

Carbs

11 g

Protein

4 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
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Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Pepita Pesto
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Ingredients

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 serrano chiles, chopped*

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground**

4 roasted piquillo peppers***

4 cups fresh roasted pumpkin****

4 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 cup heavy cream

juice of one lime

salt to taste

pomegranate arils

Cotija cheese

Pesto:

1/3 cup toasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

1 cup loosely packed cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons lime juice

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat.

2. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally for about ten minutes or until vegetables are softened.

3. Add serrano chiles and garlic and cook, stirring, for another couple minutes.

4. Add smoked paprika and cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

5. Add piquillo peppers, roasted pumpkin, chicken stock, and honey. Turn up heat, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let soup simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.

6. Puree soup in batches in a blender or in the pot using an immersion blender. Return soup to the pot (if you used a blender) and stir in the cream. Add the lime juice and salt to taste (I used a little more than a teaspoon of salt). Reheat over low heat before serving.

7. Garnish with Cilantro Pepita Pesto (recipe below), fresh pomegranate arils, and crumbled cotija cheese (may substitute feta). Serve with fresh lime wedges.

Make the pesto:

Blend pepitas, cilantro, garlic, parmesan, and lime juice in a blender or food processor (or using an immersion blender). With blender running, slowly add olive oil. Blend until fairly smooth then season with salt to taste.

Notes

*If you don't want a spicy soup, remove the seeds and mebrane from the chiles. The serranos I used were very large, so I only used two, but you can adjust the amount to suit your own taste.

**I like to toast cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and darken slightly. Let them cool then grind in a clean coffee grinder or using a mortar and pestle. You may substitute regular ground cumin if you don't have cumin seeds.

***I find canned roasted piquillo peppers at Trader Joes. You may substitute one whole roasted red bell pepper for the four piquillo peppers if necessary.

****You may substitute an equal amount of canned pumpkin for the fresh roasted pumpkin if desired.

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The Cilantro Pepita Pesto is adapted from this recipe at 101 Cookbooks.

Related Recipes:

  • Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew with Israeli Couscous
  • Roasted Autumn Vegetable Chowder
  • Potato Leek Soup
  • Carrot Potato Cheese Soup

Around the Web:

  • Thai-Spiced Pumpkin Soup from 101 Cookbooks
  • Mexican Pumpkin Soup and Garlicky Greens from Fatfree Vegan Kitchen
  • Jamaican Pumpkin Soup from A Year of Slow Cooking
  • Pumpkin Soup with Bacon from The Kitchn
  • Indian Chickpea and Pumpkin Soup from Lisa’s Kitchen

Filed Under: Main Courses, Sauces and Dressings, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Previous Post: « Silent Sunday: Pomegranates
Next Post: Fall Fest: Spiced Pear Butter »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Todd@PhitZone says

    October 27, 2010 at 5:30 am

    This sounds so good that I linked to it in a post this morning.
    Reply
  2. Plumpest Peach says

    October 28, 2010 at 5:43 am

    I love the garnish options here, both colors and flavors seems so spot on! Can't wait to try!
    Reply
  3. Deborah says

    October 29, 2010 at 10:19 am

    I love that addition of pomegranate seeds!
    Reply
  4. Tracy says

    October 29, 2010 at 11:53 am

    Wonderful presentation! it looks simply delicious=)
    Reply
  5. Dave says

    October 29, 2010 at 12:43 pm

    Great looking recipe! I agree - a lot of pumpkin soups end up tasting more like dessert than they should. I'll have to give this one a try. The pomegranate is a wonderful touch.
    Reply
  6. Barbs says

    November 1, 2010 at 9:35 am

    Made this last night - YUM!!!! So good. I can't wait to have the leftovers for dinner. The pomegranate was such a wonderful addition. Sadly the cilantro I purchase had NO flavor so my pesto wasn't as good as I would have liked ( I love cilantro and was so sad with the sub-par purchase from the farmers market) I may have to find better cilantro and try again. If only my cilantro plant would grow faster! Overall a great soup, I loved it!
    Reply
  7. evan @ thesaltypear says

    November 2, 2010 at 9:21 am

    What a fantastic soup! I made something similar the other with butternut squash and a hefty does of allspice. I love the idea of serving the soup with pomegranate seeds.
    Reply
  8. Leigh says

    November 6, 2010 at 4:15 pm

    I served your soup to French friends tonight. The unanimous verdict was that it was the best soup they had ever had. What an amazing combination of color and textures Many thanks for an amazing recipe.
    Reply
  9. Karen L. says

    July 20, 2012 at 9:26 pm

    I grew many of these this summer and didn't know what to do with them. I tried some with a small amount of vanilla and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Then I tried some with some sea salt. Both ways were simple; but very tasty. I will try some other ways too, just so to tell others. This is quite a versatile squash. WOW!
    Reply
  10. linda says

    December 9, 2013 at 8:49 pm

    this recipe for squash soup is a total winner!! i followed the spice amounts carefully and didn't succumb to my usual "more has to be better" routine. love the spicy and not sweet results...i will make this many more times i am sure. thanks for a delicious soup!!
    Reply
  11. christypaul2013 says

    December 13, 2013 at 5:49 pm

    I just finished making this and am eating it as I type. It's pretty awesome. I wasn't sure I had enough salt in the soup, but with the pesto and cheese, it's just right. I've been wanting to try some of the less-familiar produce at Vallarta, and this was the best-looking recipe I found when I googled Castilla Squash at the store. Thanks.
    Reply
  12. plasterer bristol says

    December 2, 2015 at 9:32 am

    This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe. Simon
    Reply
  13. Maggie says

    October 29, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    I just tried your recipe. My picky son who, "hates all things pumpkin", agreed to try it when he heard it had jalapeno(sorry, didn't have a serrano!), lime and cilantro in it. He had two large bowls!! Even my husband loved it. Thank you for sharing such a great take on pumpkin soup!
    Reply
    • Nicole says

      October 30, 2020 at 8:25 am

      So glad to hear you all loved it! ?
      Reply
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