Caribbean-style Pumpkin Soup

November 20, 2011
This creamy pumpkin soup uses scotch bonnet peppers for a subtle, pleasant heat.
 
Caribbean-style Pumpkin Soup | Fake Food Free
 
 

When we travel to Jamaica we always look forward to the pumpkin soup. Although the version I make at home uses a similar squash, I like the pumpkin soup of the Caribbean much better. It has taken me a long time to figure out what exactly makes the difference in the flavors.


First of all, there are the spices. Despite the fact I use pumpkin in all sorts of dishes, the temptation to put in a seasoning such as cinnamon or nutmeg is a force I can rarely overcome. After years of only eating pumpkin pie and bread it’s as if my brain says – there’s pumpkin, must add some variation of pumpkin pie spice – even when it’s a savory dish.


Second is the heat. I never added any type of hot peppers to my version, but I now believe that is what makes a pumpkin soup outstanding. It isn’t spicy; it’s just a mild, warming heat in the back of your throat after each bite. That’s accomplished with Scotch Bonnet peppers which I just happened to grow in our garden this year. They came on late, but I have a nice bag full in the freezer to pull from for occasions like this one.

Scotch Bonnet Pepper | Fake Food Free 
 

On one of our recent trips I picked up the cookbook, Eat Caribbean by Virginia Burke. Inside is a recipe for Pumpkin Lobster Bisque. Now pumpkin I had, but lobster I did not, so I tried modifying the recipe hoping it would turn out like the pumpkin soups we’ve had while traveling.


It’s definitely the closest I’ve come and much better than my standard version of winter squash soup. In this case, I think it’s the closest I want to get. Sometimes you want to make sure that there is still plenty of reasons to travel for the real thing.

Caribbean-style Pumpkin Soup | Fake Food Free

 

Caribbean-style Pumpkin Soup

Adapted from Pumpkin Lobster Bisque from Eat Caribbean by Virginia Burke

Makes: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
4 cups mashed roasted pumpkin 
3 tbsp of tomato sauce (or 2 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped)
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup cream or half and half
1 tsp fine ground sea salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
Croutons for garnish
 
Prep
 
In a small soup pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the garlic and onion. Cook for about 3 minutes, reduce the heat if necessary to prevent burning the garlic. Add the pumpkin and tomato sauce. Next, add the thyme and scotch bonnet pepper. 
 
Pour in the stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stir occasionally. If you want more heat, gently pierce the scotch bonnet pepper as it cooks. 
 
Remove the thyme sprig and pepper and discard. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree all the ingredients. Or you can transfer the soup to a blender, blend until smooth and return it to the pot. 
 
Stir in the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return to low heat if necessary to heat the soup through.  Garnish with croutons, if desired. 
 
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  • Candy November 20, 2011 at 10:44 am

    I love, love pumpkin soup and this version reminds me of the one that I always order on cruises.

  • emily (a nutritionist eats) November 20, 2011 at 5:48 pm

    There is a pumpkin soup in Haiti too, I bet it is very similar!

  • Deb in Hawaii November 20, 2011 at 11:49 pm

    This is such a beautiful soup–I love how you have garnished it and the flavors sound wonderful. 😉

  • Nicole Gamble November 21, 2011 at 4:08 am

    Great recipe ! I made it! It`s delicious!!!

  • Lori November 21, 2011 at 4:48 am

    Candy – I bet it might be. A vacation kind of soup it seems. 🙂

    Emily – I’m sure it’s similar. Need to make it to Haiti so I can compare!

    Deb – Thanks! I almost sent it for Souper Sunday, but just got it up Sun afternoon.

    Nicole – Glad you liked it.

  • munchinwithmunchkin.com November 21, 2011 at 9:47 am

    I love Caribbean food! I could eat it every day of my life and die a happy woman. Definitely going to give this soup a try! Wouldn’t it be great with warm roti?!

  • Michelle @ Find Your Balance November 21, 2011 at 5:59 pm

    Oooh! See now that is a refreshing new idea. The normal pumpkin seasonings are so cliche 🙂

  • Kristy Lynn November 22, 2011 at 9:50 am

    How spicy is the pepper you used on a scale of one to ten? I don’t have that kind of pepper available to me but i have red chili pepper, seranos, poblanos, jalapenos, and habeneros. haha..

    • Anonymous October 6, 2012 at 12:47 am

      This pepper is extreamly hot if you r not careful. The taste is very nice and unique.

  • Lo November 22, 2011 at 6:18 pm

    I’ve been working on a similar pumpkin soup with a Jamaican twist. Thinking about incorporating some of the other jerk flavors into the mix as well — allspice, in particular. LOVE the fruity kick that scotch-bonnets offer!

  • Lori November 25, 2011 at 1:24 pm

    Munchin – Roti would send it over the top! Great idea!

    Michelle – Ha, ha! Always have to do something a little different. 🙂

    Kristy Lynn – Hmmm…I’d say on 1 to 1-10 it was only a 2. Just a warming heat. I’d probably try a habanero in the same way, but it might be spicier. I’ve done a similar thing with cayennes I’ve dried from the garden and Thai chilies. I was able to get similar results.

    Lo – That sounds great! I can’t wait to see your version. I could see allspice working very well. I’ve become a huge fan of scotch bonnet. Such a nice heat and flavor.

  • Lori December 4, 2011 at 11:21 am

    This sounds delicious! I wonder how a chipotle in adobo or an ancho chile would be?

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