Recipe and food styling by Michelle Rabin | Photography by Paul Buceta
There isn’t anything more comforting in the cooler months than a hearty soup. Especially one that uses fresh seasonal ingredients bursting with health benefits.
This rustic pumpkin soup is chock-full of cancer-fighting carotene as well as beta-carotene, which gets converted into vitamin A for healthy skin and eyes. Plus, the mega amounts of vitamin C from pumpkin and carrots can give your immune system a boost so you don’t end up catching your boyfriend’s cold. Pumpkin is also an excellent source of belly-filling fiber, keeping you from mindlessly snacking when you’re binge watching holiday specials.
You can whip up a big batch in just over an hour, and settle in for a long winter’s night. Sprinkle each dish with chestnuts and herb olive oil (hello, healthy fats!) for an extra punch of flavor.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Honey Roasted Chestnuts and Herb Oil
Prep Time: 15 minutes • Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes • Makes 4 servings
HERB OIL
• 1 cup parsley with stems
• ½ cup chives
• ¾ cup cold pressed canola or olive oil
1. Bring a small pot of water to a bowl. Place parsley in boiling water until bright green, about 30 seconds. Transfer parsley to a food processor and add chives and oil. Pulse until herbs are finely chopped.
2. Place a small strainer lined with a coffee filter over a small bowl.
3. Pour the contents of the food processor into the coffee filter and let drip for 5 hours or overnight.
4. Discard the herbs left in filter and store herb oil in refrigerator for other uses.
HONEY ROASTED CHESTNUTS
• 8 chestnuts, cooked and peeled
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp salt
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, toss chestnuts with honey and salt. Place in a single layer on baking tray.
3. Bake until fragrant and tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
4. Once cool, roughly chop chestnuts.
PUMPKIN SOUP
• 4 cups pumpkin, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 L chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Toss pumpkin with olive oil and cumin and place on a baking sheet. Roast in oven until golden brown and tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a large stock pot over medium-high. Place onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and salt in pot and cook until vegetables are fragrant and tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in roasted pumpkin, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer mixture until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until a smooth purée forms.
5. To serve the soup, divide into 4 bowls. Drizzle each with 1 tsp of herb oil and garnish with roasted chestnuts.
