Perfect for a chilly night, this roasted pumpkin and bacon soup recipe has all the flavour. Oven-roasted pumpkin pairs beautifully with toasted spices, with bacon and sour cream adding their own flavours to this hearty meal.
Pumpkin soup is often the go-to soup whenever the temperature starts dropping. It’s thick, it’s hearty, and it’s got that beautiful autumnal orange to it that screams warmth and cosiness. Pair it up with warming spices, and a piece of hot, crusty bread smothered in butter and this roasted pumpkin & bacon soup recipe is perfect for those chilly nights.
Roasting your pumpkin first allows you to caramelise some of the sugars, adding extra depth to your star veggie, and the surprise addition of a Granny Smith apple adds an extra touch of brightness without detracting from the pumpkin flavours we’re all here for.
If you know you’re going to prepare veggies for a roast, why not roast the rest of that pumpkin and create the beginnings of another meal at the same time? Or if you have other leftover roasted veggies from the night before, you could totally use those as the basis for your soup. This is a great way to use up leftover roasted potato or sweet potato. Pumpkin + potato is a great combination, with the pumpkin flavour shining through. Pumpkin + sweet potato changes the flavour slightly, but it’s still a winning combination.
Tips
- Utilise leftover roasted veggies where you can – as long as you’ve got 1.4kgs of starchy vegetables as the basis of your soup, it’ll remain a thick and hearty soup, just with a different flavour profile.
- I used Kent pumpkin for this recipe. Butternut also works really well. Use whatever you have on hand. You could use pre-peeled chunks from the supermarket, but adjust the roasting time to suit and turn often.
- The Granny Smith lightens this recipe and adds a little extra sweetness, so try not to leave it out. If you’re utilising last night’s veggies, peel the apple, grate it fine, and add it to the pumpkin. You’ll just have to simmer the soup a little longer to cook it down- stir frequently.
- Use smoky bacon for that extra smoky hit. I enjoy making mine with middle bacon, as there’s a good balance of fat to meat and it browns nicely.
- You can reserve some bacon bits and use them as a garnish if you want some extra crunch.
- Smoked paprika and cumin are strong spices, extra so when toasted. I love their taste, so will use the entire amount plus extra paprika for garnishing. Feel free to adjust to your taste.
- Some people don’t like the look of black pepper in a soup. Replace with white pepper if you want – I just prefer to grind my pepper straight into the soup.
- This is not a perfectly smooth soup recipe if made with an immersion blender, it has a little texture.
Ingredients
- 1.4kg pumpkin, skin on, chopped into chunks
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, roughly chopped
- 1 medium (150g) onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
- 200g bacon, diced
- 25g pine nuts
- 1L vegetable stock
- 125g sour cream or cream
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 4 fresh sage leaves
- Splash of oil of your choice
- Pinch of salt
- Pepper
Tools You’ll Need
- Knife
- Chopping board
- Baking Tray
- Small frying pan
- Dutch oven or minimum 4L deep saucepan
- Stick/immersion blender or blender
- Wooden spoon/large spoon
- Measuring spoons
FAQ
I don’t have cumin, what else can I use?
Replace cumin with nutmeg. It pairs nicely with smoked paprika.
Why am I toasting the spices?
Toasting spices brings out their flavours. It’s worth this extra step. If you’re toasting your nuts (for the same reason) you might as well continue with the dirty pan and toast your spices.
I don’t have pine nuts, what else can I use?
Replace with pepitas or crushed walnuts. Both are tasty in this roasted pumpkin & bacon soup. Pine nuts are a flavour sensation on their own though. Blending them through the soup brings out the nuttiness of the pumpkin itself. If you’re replacing the dairy, try replacing the pine nuts with toasted peanuts instead.
I want to make it spicier!
Add 1/4 tsp of chilli powder to your spice mix. Garnish with chilli flakes I often add a fresh Tabasco chilli or two to my onions when I’m cooking those down.
What bread is that in the picture?
That’s a Woolworths mini cheese and garlic scroll. It went so well with the soup! If you don’t have that, a hot sourdough slice with butter is a great option. Or even use croutons if you have them.
Adjusting for Dietary Preferences
Can I replace the dairy?
Absolutely – remove the pot from the heat and leave it to cool a little, and then add a little coconut cream to it. Pumpkin and coconut go so well together. You can always leave it out, but I encourage the use of coconut cream – it’s as delicious as sour cream.
Can I replace the bacon?
If you want to leave out the bacon, you can, but you will lose the bacon bulk. I would add some leek or extra pumpkin, even a potato, to replace the bulk that the bacon added, or reduce your stock, otherwise, you’ll end up with a more watery soup than you might have wanted.
How to Make Roasted Pumpkin & Bacon Soup
Print the recipe card below for a step-by-step guide to making this delicious soup. But quickly:
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Start preparing your vegetables. Chop your pumpkin into large chunks, leave the skin on. Next, toss with some oil, and roast for 15 minutes.
While the pumpkin is starting to roast, prepare your apple. Peel your apple and chop it into large chunks. Add it after 15 minutes to the pumpkin tray. I sit it on top of the pumpkin so it doesn’t burn.
Meanwhile, I use this roasting time to dice my onion, and bacon, crush my garlic, and toast my nuts and spices so those are ready to go once we get to the soup assembly stage. You can prepare this earlier in the day if you like.
After another 25 minutes of roasting time, your pumpkin and apple should be fork-tender. Generally, about 40 minutes is enough time for the pumpkin to cook through. Leave in a little longer if they need some more time. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. You can use last night’s veggies or you can make this earlier in the day and set aside to assemble later.
Add your bacon to the Dutch oven or saucepan and turn to medium heat. Next, add a splash of oil and let it begin to fry. I like a gentle fry to let the fat render out of the bacon. Peel your pumpkin while this is frying, being careful as it may still be quite hot (if you just cooked it and didn’t prepare it earlier).
Once the bacon starts to brown and sizzle, add the onion and let it begin to sweat down. It will release a lot of water. This is fine, it’ll help avoid burning the fond the bacon produced. Resist the urge to turn up the heat. Stir frequently.
Once the onion has turned just started turning translucent, add the garlic and stir until it becomes fragrant.
Deglaze the pot by adding a splash of stock. You want the stock to heat fast and release anything stuck to the bottom of the pan – there’s your flavour.
If using a stick/immersion blender: Add your pumpkin and apple, add the rest of the stock, and half your nuts and toasted spices. Blend in the pot and simmer gently.
If using a bench top blender: Remove the pot from heat, empty contents into a blender, and add your pumpkin and apple, half your nuts and toasted spices. Add a little more stock and blend. Then return ingredients back to the pot and add the stock, return to heat and simmer gently.
Taste your soup, add salt and pepper, and adjust spice if needed.
Remove from heat, and add sour cream. Stir it through, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.
Tear up sage leaves and add to the pot, stir through.
Serve in a bowl with reserved nuts as a garnish. Additional garnishes are: a spoon of sour cream, a swirl of cream, additional toasted spices, extra sage leaves, and croutons.
Partner with your bread of choice and enjoy.
Roasted Pumpkin & Bacon Soup
This isn't an ordinary pumpkin soup. Roasted pumpkin, toasted spices and bacon all add their tasty flavours to make this soup pack some hearty punch.
Ingredients
- 1.4kg pumpkin, skin on, chopped into chunks
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, roughly chopped
- 1 medium (150g) onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
- 200g bacon, diced
- 25g pine nuts
- 1L vegetable stock
- 125g sour cream or cream
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 4 fresh sage leaves
- Splash of oil of your choice
- Pinch of salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Drizzle baking tray with a little oil, toss pumpkin on it, and then arrange pumpkin skin side down. Place pumpkin in oven to roast, set a 15min timer.
- Once timer goes off, add chunked up Granny Smith apple on top of the pumpkin, return to oven to roast. Set a 25min timer.
- After the 40min of roasting time is up, check to see if pumpkin and apple are fork tender, and remove from oven once tender.
- Set aside to cool. You can complete the roasting part of this recipe in advance.
- Once pumpkin is cool enough to peel, scoop pumpkin out of skins and set aside with the apple.
- In a small frying pan over low-medium heat, gently toast pine nuts. Remove from frying pan, set aside, return to heat.
- Gently toast the smoked paprika and cumin unil they begin to smell fragrant. Remove from heat, set aside.
- In your large saucepan, heat a splash of oil over medium, add bacon and fry off until you see the first sign of browning.
- Reduce heat to medium, add onion and allow it to sweat down with the bacon, stirring regularly so it doesn't burn.
- Once onion is soft and translucent and bacon is browned, add garlic, stir constantly until it is soft and fragrant.
- Deglaze saucepan with a good splash of vegetable stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon to release the fond.
- Add reserved pumpkin and apple, the rest of your vegetable stock and half of your toasted spices and pine nuts.
- Stick blend the soup in the pot, allow to get to a gentle simmer, and taste. Keep stirring, as the soup is thick and steam doesn't escape easily.
- Add salt if needed, add a good twist of freshly ground black pepper, and more toasted spices to taste.
- Remove from heat, add sour cream/cream and stir through. Shred fresh sage leaves into the pot.
- Serve, topping with a swirl of sour cream/cream, a sprinkle of pine nuts, and extra sage if you want. Sprinkle with any spice mix left over. Excellent served with cheesy garlic bread or croutons.
Notes
I prefer to cook with olive oil, but you can use whatever you have on hand, as long as it's got a neutral flavour. Save the avocado oil for salads.
Fond is the browned bits stuck to the bottom of your pan. It's not burned bits unless it's blackened. Always utilise your fond for flavour!
This recipe made with a stick blender will not create a perfectly smooth soup. If you want that, between steps 12 and 13, add contents of deglazed pan, along with pumpkin and apple to a blender, and blend, adding a little vegetable stock at a time to thin it out. Return everything to pot, heat again, and add rest of stock. Continue on with the recipe.
If you want to add a little more veggie flavor, add a Continental Vegetable stock pot to the recipe.
Pumpkin and apple can be roasted the day before, cooled, and placed in the fridge to use the next day.
Sour cream and cream can both be used. Sometimes I'll use both. Leave it out and melt a tablespoon of butter through for a different flavour profile.
If you have any extra sage, tear a few leaves up to use as garnish as I have.
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