I first discovered the pairing of pumpkin and apple in soup form in the fall, from the food magazine Oma Maitse. Back then, it was a more elaborate recipe combining butternut squash and apple with some cream cheese, other ingredients, and kale on top. It was a wonderfully comforting soup that I even served to a group of American bachelors at my home restaurant — they loved it, and I was delighted. Step by step, though, I started adapting the recipe to suit my own preferences and eventually arrived at something quite different.
Lately, I’ve learned to appreciate clean, simple flavors. I use fewer spices than before, usually sticking to just salt and pepper. Garlic holds a place of honor in my kitchen as a natural flavor enhancer. The pure taste of vegetables is wonderfully satisfying and leaves more room to play with flavor combinations. This soup is made from very simple ingredients — pumpkin, carrot, apple, and broth. The recipe actually came out of a practical need to prepare lunch for a large group using whatever ingredients were on hand, and as usual, the pantry selection was limited. After making this soup dozens of times, I finally decided to grab a piece of paper and write down what exactly I was putting into it. Honestly, it wasn’t that easy, because I realized I had no idea about the exact quantities or even the precise ingredients I usually tossed in — most of my cooking happens by instinct: taste as you go and add a little something here and there. After a few attempts, though, I managed to scribble down the recipe, and it seems to work well.
Making the soup is pleasantly simple — peel and chop the vegetables, boil them in broth until soft, then blend everything into a smooth purée. It’s the perfect meal for a weekday evening. In our family, soup-making is a shared activity — little Uku-Robin, who is almost two years old, has already become quite good at peeling carrots and is always at the table whenever it’s time to cook.
Pumpkin and Apple Purée Soup
Ingredients
Preparation
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Peel and chop the vegetables, onion, and garlic, then place them in a pot with the broth and bring to a boil.* Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the carrots and pumpkin are almost tender.
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Add the peeled and chopped apple and cook for another 10 minutes.
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Once everything is soft, remove the pot from the heat and add a small piece of peeled and chopped ginger.
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Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately with sesame seeds or salted peanuts on top.
Note
* If you have homemade broth, use that. If not, add 1.3 liters of water to the pot along with 2–3 stock cubes, depending on whether you prefer a saltier or milder soup.
