halloween is just over a week away, and pumpkins are EVERYWHERE. and those bad boys are not just for decoration and pies!

now i’ve gone on and on about how i am not really a pumpkin spice fan, but i am really embracing the flavors this year. while i’m not about to go order a pumpkin spice latte, those pumpkin spice flavors (ginger, cinnamon, allspice & clove) really lend themselves so perfectly to a bounty of savory recipes.

but i’m using them in my favorite pumpkin preparation, soup. the texture of pumpkin can be a bit off-putting when cooked (part of the reason i am not a pumpkin pie fan) but when roasted and puréed in a soup, the flavors come through beautifully without textural issues. this soup is a great warming dish to be enjoyed all autumn long.

pumpkin spice soup

serves: 4-6

prep time: 10 minutes

cooking time: 1 hour

total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

ingredients: 3 lb pumpkin. 1 large brown onion, halved and sliced 1 inch thick. 3 tbs olive oil. 3 cloves garlic, smashed. 10 medium sized sage leaves, roughly chopped + a few extra thinly sliced for garnish. .5 cup blood orange juice (you can use regular orange if you have it). 4 cups chicken stock. .25 cup brown sugar. 1 tbs kosher salt. 1 tsp freshly ground pepper. 1 tsp cinnamon. .5 tsp ginger. .5 tsp ground cloves. .25 tsp all spice. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese for serving. crusty bread for serving. baking sheet. parchment paper. heavy pot. immersion blender, blender or food processor.

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. half your pumpkin and scoop out all the guts and reserve them to make roasted gourd seeds. mix together the brown sugar, half the salt and pepper, the cinnamon, allspice, ginger and clove. line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place your onions and pumpkin halves on the sheet. sprinkle the inside and edges of the pumpkin as well as the onions with your spice mix.

drizzle the pumpkin and onions with the olive oil and mix it all up till the pumpkin and the onions are lightly coated with spice and oil. start with your pumpkin with the skin side down and roast the veggies for about 40 minutes. halfway through, flip your pumpkins so the skin side is facing up. when your pumpkins have roasted, heat your heavy pot over medium heat.

working carefully not to burn your fingers, scoop the pumpkin out of it’s shell or if you can, just peel the roasted shell away.

remove any overly cooked bits of onions and put the pumpkin pulp and onions in your pot.

when you start to hear the veggies sizzle, add in the garlic and sage leaves and stir well to combine. when the garlic becomes fragrant (about 1 minute),

pour in the orange juice and the rest of your salt and pepper.

stir well till the orange juice is absorbed and then pour in your chicken stock. bring the soup to a boil, and turn down the heat till you have a gentle simmer. simmer the liquid for 3-5 minutes and turn off the heat.

working in batches in a food processor or blender, or using your immersion blender, purée the soup till smooth.

serve topped with goat cheese, some sage with crust bread on the side for dipping.

xo, a

pumpkin spice soup

serves: 4-6

prep time: 10 minutes

cooking time: 1 hour

total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

ingredients: 3 lb pumpkin. 1 large brown onion, halved and sliced 1 inch thick. 3 tbs olive oil. 3 cloves garlic, smashed. 10 medium sized sage leaves, roughly chopped + a few extra thinly sliced for garnish. .5 cup blood orange juice (you can use regular orange if you have it). 4 cups chicken stock. .25 cup brown sugar. 1 tbs kosher salt. 1 tsp freshly ground pepper. 1 tsp cinnamon. .5 tsp ginger. .5 tsp ground cloves. .25 tsp all spice. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese for serving. crusty bread for serving. baking sheet. parchment paper. heavy pot. immersion blender, blender or food processor.

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. half your pumpkin and scoop out all the guts and reserve them to make roasted gourd seeds. mix together the brown sugar, half the salt and pepper, the cinnamon, allspice, ginger and clove. line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place your onions and pumpkin halves on the sheet. sprinkle the inside and edges of the pumpkin as well as the onions with your spice mix. drizzle the pumpkin and onions with the olive oil and mix it all up till the pumpkin and the onions are lightly coated with spice and oil. start with your pumpkin with the skin side down and roast the veggies for about 40 minutes. halfway through, flip your pumpkins so the skin side is facing up. when your pumpkins have roasted, heat your heavy pot over medium heat. working carefully not to burn your fingers, scoop the pumpkin out of it’s shell or if you can, just peel the roasted shell away. remove any overly cooked bits of onions and put the pumpkin pulp and onions in your pot. when you start to hear the veggies sizzle, add in the garlic and sage leaves and stir well to combine. when the garlic becomes fragrant (about 1 minute), pour in the orange juice and the rest of your salt and pepper. stir well till the orange juice is absorbed and then pour in your chicken stock. bring the soup to a boil, and turn down the heat till you have a gentle simmer. simmer the liquid for 3-5 minutes and turn off the heat. working in batches in a food processor or blender, or using your immersion blender, purée the soup till smooth. serve topped with goat cheese, some sage with crust bread on the side for dipping.