Description
Jamie Oliver’s pumpkin and bacon soup delivers comfort in a bowl with rustic Italian-inspired flavors. Rich roasted pumpkin and crispy bacon create a hearty blend you’ll savor from first spoonful to last.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 500 grams (17.6 ounces) Crown Prince pumpkin or onion squash, peeled, deseeded, and cut into medium chunks
- 150 grams (5.3 ounces) maple-cured bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 liter (33.8 fluid ounces) chicken stock
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 50 grams (1.8 ounces) butter
Garnish and Finishing:
- 100 milliliters (3.4 fluid ounces) double cream
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted
- Maple syrup, for drizzling
- Olive oil for roasting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare pumpkin chunks by tossing with olive oil on a baking sheet, ensuring even coating and spread.
- Roast pumpkin in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until edges caramelize and flesh becomes tender, developing rich, deep flavors.
- In a large cooking pot, melt 1 tablespoon (25 grams) of butter with vegetable oil over low heat. Add finely chopped onions and a pinch of salt.
- Sauté onions gently for 10 minutes, allowing them to soften and become translucent without browning.
- Introduce 2.1 ounces (60 grams) of diced bacon to the pot, cooking for an additional 5 minutes to release smoky flavors and render fat.
- Transfer roasted pumpkin chunks into the pot with bacon and onions, creating a flavor-packed base.
- Pour chicken stock over the mixture, bringing the liquid to a rolling boil before reducing heat to a gentle simmer.
- Cover the pot and let ingredients meld together for 15-20 minutes, allowing flavors to intensify and develop complexity.
- Stir in double cream and briefly return to a boil, enhancing the soup’s richness and texture.
- Remove from heat and carefully blend the mixture until completely smooth, adjusting consistency with additional liquid if needed.
- Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure a silky, refined texture.
- In a separate pan, crisp the remaining bacon with freshly ground black pepper for 5 minutes until perfectly golden.
- Ladle soup into serving bowls, garnishing with crispy bacon bits, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a delicate drizzle of maple syrup.
Notes
- Save time by chopping vegetables and measuring spices before starting to cook, ensuring a smooth preparation process.
- Fresh, seasonal pumpkin delivers the most vibrant flavor and highest nutritional punch for this comforting soup.
- Crispy bacon and toasted pumpkin seeds create an irresistible textural contrast that elevates the entire dish.
- A delicate maple syrup drizzle introduces a gentle sweetness that dances across your taste buds.
- Straining the soup guarantees a silky-smooth texture worthy of a high-end restaurant kitchen.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting, Simmering, Blending, Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 485 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg