Baked Pumpkin Soup with Blood Orange & Chilli Drizzle, Toasted Pepitas and Fresh Coriander
Pumpkin baked whole, blitzed silky, with a punchy blood orange and chilli drizzle.
There's pumpkin soup, and then there's proper pumpkin soup. None of this boiling the life out of a pumpkin and wondering why it tastes of bugger all.
We're baking the pumpkin whole, skin and all, letting it slowly soften in the oven and develop that lovely natural sweetness. Once it's cooked, we scoop out the flesh and turn it into a beautifully silky soup.
Then we're cutting through that richness with a punchy blood orange and chilli drizzle, finishing with crunchy toasted pepitas and fresh coriander.
Simple ingredients, a bit of patience, and a cracking bowl of soup.
There's pumpkin soup, and then there's proper pumpkin soup. The flavour comes from building the aromatic base first, then keeping the liquid at a gentle simmer so the vegetables soften, the protein stays tender and the seasoning lands cleanly instead of muddy.
- →Baking the pumpkin whole allows it to cook slowly in its own moisture, concentrating its natural sweetness without watering down the flavour.
- →Filling the cavity with onion, garlic, ginger and spices lets everything cook together. Keeping the lid on initially softens the ingredients, while removing it halfway through allows some moisture to escape and the exposed ingredients to develop a little colour.
- →The coconut cream gives the soup a lovely silky finish, while the blood orange and chilli drizzle cuts through the richness. Toasted pepitas bring the crunch, and fresh coriander lifts the whole dish.
Common Mistakes
- ✗Adding all the stock at once: Hold back 100 ml and add it only as needed, so the soup stays silky rather than watery.
- ✗Taking the pumpkin out too early: If a skewer meets resistance in the thickest part, it needs longer. Times are a guide; tenderness is the test.
- ✗Leaving the skin in the soup: Scoop the flesh away from the skin; the skin won't blend smooth.
- ✗Walking away from the pepitas: They burn fast in a dry pan. Stay with them and remove them as soon as they turn golden.
Tips & Tricks
- →Bake, don't boil: Baking the pumpkin whole develops its natural sweetness and depth of flavour without watering it down. Boiling pumpkin in stock simply doesn't give you the same result.
- →Don't drown it in stock: You can always thin a soup down, but trying to thicken one that's already too watery is a pain in the arse.
- →Keep the drizzle punchy: The soup is naturally sweet and rich, so the blood orange needs enough acidity and chilli to cut through it. That's what makes the combination work.
- →Toast those seeds: Raw pepitas are fine, but toasting brings out their nutty flavour and gives the soup that much-needed crunch.
Flavour Twists
Add an extra red chilli to the drizzle if you fancy a bit more kick.
Increase the smoked paprika slightly for a deeper, smokier finish.
Add a little more fresh blood orange zest to the finished drizzle for a brighter citrus flavour.
Substitutions
- Blood orange→ Regular orangeUse the same quantities. Taste the reduced drizzle and add a little extra vinegar if it's too sweet.
- Coconut cream→ Crème fraîche or creamUse the same quantity, stirred in off a rolling boil. The soup will no longer be dairy free.
Cool the soup, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Store the drizzle, pepitas and coriander separately and add when serving. Reheat the soup until piping hot throughout.
Pumpkin can handle a lot more spice than people give it credit for. Green chillies work brilliantly if you fancy a bit of heat, while cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice bring a lovely warmth and depth. Don't be frightened to experiment with different combinations. Pumpkin's natural sweetness can stand up to plenty of bold flavours. Just build them gradually so you're not overpowering the pumpkin itself.
Warm, crusty sourdough with salted butter
A thick slice of warm, crusty sourdough with a generous spread of salted butter. Perfect for mopping up the last of the soup.
Pumpkin soup doesn't need twenty ingredients or a gallon of cream to taste good. Bake the pumpkin whole with the onion, garlic and spices tucked inside, scoop out that beautifully soft flesh and let the ingredients do their job. The blood orange brings the acidity, the chilli gives it a wee kick, the pepitas add crunch and the coriander freshens everything up. A proper bowl of pumpkin soup. No tricks, just treats.
Method
- 1
Get the oven going
Preheat your oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Give the pumpkin a good wash and dry it. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut a lid from the top of the pumpkin, keeping it to one side. Scoop out the seeds and stringy centre, leaving the pumpkin flesh intact. Place the hollowed-out pumpkin onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. No peeling, no wrestling with a rock-hard pumpkin. Let the oven do the hard work.
- 2
Fill the pumpkin
Place the quartered onion inside the pumpkin. Separate the garlic bulb into cloves, peel them and add them along with the grated ginger. Drizzle in the olive oil, then add the cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Give everything a good mix inside the pumpkin so the onion and garlic are coated in the oil and spices. Replace the pumpkin lid.
- 3
Bake the pumpkin
Place the pumpkin in the oven and bake at 160°C fan / 180°C conventional for approximately 3–3½ hours. For the first 1½ hours, leave the lid on. This allows the pumpkin to soften gently while the onion, garlic, ginger and spices cook together inside, soaking up all those lovely flavours. After 1½ hours, remove the lid and continue baking uncovered for another 1½–2 hours. This allows some of the moisture to evaporate and the exposed ingredients to develop a little colour and deeper flavour. You're looking for the pumpkin flesh to be completely tender. A skewer or knife should slide through the thickest part without resistance. The skin may darken slightly and develop a few caramelised patches. That's perfectly fine. Remove from the oven and allow to cool until comfortable to handle.
- 4
Bring the soup together
Carefully scoop the soft baked pumpkin flesh away from the skin, along with all the onion, garlic, ginger and any lovely cooking juices collected inside. Transfer everything into a large saucepan. Pour in 650 ml of the stock, reserving the remaining 100 ml. Bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to come together.
- 5
Blitz until silky
Using a stick blender, blitz everything until completely smooth. Add the coconut cream and blend again. Adjust the consistency with the reserved stock until you've got a lovely silky soup that coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- 6
Make the blood orange & chilli drizzle
Add the blood orange juice, zest, chopped chilli, honey and red wine vinegar to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce until you've got roughly 40–50 ml of concentrated liquid. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before whisking in the extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. You want a drizzle that's sweet, sharp, slightly spicy and still got that lovely fresh citrus kick. Taste it. Blood oranges can vary quite a bit in sweetness, so adjust the balance if needed.
- 7
Toast the pepitas
Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Add the pepitas and toast for 2–4 minutes, shaking the pan regularly until they begin popping and turning golden. Remove them straight away. They'll go from beautifully toasted to burnt wee buggers quicker than you think.
- 8
Plate it up
Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Spoon a little blood orange and chilli drizzle around the centre. Scatter over the toasted pepitas and finish with a generous little pile of fresh coriander leaves. A final crack of black pepper and you're done.
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