Easy Comfort: Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Chestnut Soup Recipe

Pumpkin chestnut soup represents autumn’s most comforting culinary embrace, blending rich seasonal ingredients into a velvety masterpiece.

Warm spices dance through each aromatic spoonful, creating deep layers of earthy complexity.

Cold evenings demand something nourishing that wraps you in pure comfort and nostalgia.

Hearty vegetables transform into smooth, luxurious textures that speak directly to your soul.

Rustic ingredients merge seamlessly, promising a bowl filled with sophisticated yet approachable flavors.

Traditional cooking techniques elevate simple components into something truly extraordinary.

Robust and satisfying, this soup connects generations through its timeless preparation and wholesome essence: prepare to fall in love.

Preparing Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Chestnut Soup

Step 1: Prepare Pumpkin

Slice pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds. Carefully remove skin and chop into 1.25-inch chunks. Sprinkle with sea salt and let sit for 30 minutes to release moisture. While waiting, soak dried porcini mushrooms in hot water.

Step 2: Sizzle and Simmer

Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drop in cinnamon stick and half the sage leaves. Pat pumpkin dry and add to pot. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Add Vegetables

Peel and dice onions and pears. Stir into pot with olive oil. Continue cooking for 15 minutes until vegetables soften.

Step 4: Build Liquid Base

Drain porcini mushrooms, reserving liquid carefully to avoid sediment. Pour mushroom water and broth into pot. Bring to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick halfway through cooking. Allow soup to cool completely and refrigerate overnight for enhanced flavor.

Step 5: Create Garnish and Serve

Gently reheat soup. In small skillet, crisp remaining sage leaves in olive oil. Mince garlic and chopped porcini. Add chestnuts and water, cooking 5 minutes until mixture becomes spreadable. Toast baguette slices, spread chestnut mixture, and crumble goat cheese on top. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with crispy sage leaves.

Helpful Hints for Jamie Oliver Pumpkin Chestnut Soup

• Elevate Soup Complexity: Let flavors develop by refrigerating overnight, allowing ingredients to marry and intensify their taste profile.
• Capture Nutty Richness: Transform chestnuts into smooth pâté-like spread, introducing creamy depth and luxurious texture to the soup.
• Boost Herbal Dimensions: Sizzle sage leaves in hot oil, releasing their essential aromatic oils and creating a fragrant foundation.
• Enhance Pumpkin Intensity: Salt chunks beforehand to concentrate natural sweetness and eliminate excess moisture for better caramelization.
• Create Gourmet Finish: Sprinkle crispy sage leaves and crumbled goat's cheese to add elegant contrasting textures and visual appeal.

Preserving Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Chestnut Soup

• Freezer Portions: Divide soup into individual meal-sized containers before freezing. Prevents waste and allows easy single-serving defrosting without thawing entire batch.
• Glass Container Method: Transfer cooled soup to thick-walled glass containers with tight-sealing lids. Prevents flavor absorption, maintains soup's quality, and creates clear visibility of contents.
• Temperature Control: Cool soup completely before refrigerating or freezing. Reduces bacterial growth, preserves nutritional value, and prevents condensation that could dilute soup's rich flavor.

Ways to Change Up Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Chestnut Soup

• Autumn Harvest Blend: Swap pumpkin with butternut squash and add roasted apple chunks for a sweeter, more mellow flavor profile that captures the essence of fall.
• Mediterranean Infusion: Replace chicken broth with vegetable stock, incorporate rosemary instead of sage, and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and crumbled feta cheese for a Mediterranean-inspired variation.
• Spicy Woodland Version: Introduce smoked paprika and cayenne pepper to the soup base, use wild mushrooms like shiitake alongside porcini, and top with toasted pumpkin seeds for an earthy, warming experience.
• Vegan Comfort Edition: Substitute chicken broth with coconut milk, use roasted chestnuts blended with nutritional yeast for a creamy texture, and garnish with crispy kale chips instead of goat's cheese to create a plant-based alternative.

Concluding Overview of Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Chestnut Soup

Pumpkin chestnut soup emerges as culinary poetry, blending earthy mushrooms with sweet autumn notes.

Seasonal ingredients dance through complex flavor profiles, creating memories beyond mere sustenance.

Rich chestnuts whisper rustic Italian countryside secrets while sage leaves add herbal elegance.

Jamie Oliver’s recipe transforms ordinary ingredients into extraordinary experience.

Comfort mingles with sophistication in each carefully crafted spoonful.

Passionate cooks can elevate this masterpiece – share your culinary adventure, spark conversation, inspire kitchen creativity, and connect through delicious storytelling.

What Makes Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Chestnut Soup So Unique

• Create Layered Flavor Complexity: Jamie Oliver's pumpkin chestnut soup builds deep, intriguing taste profiles by combining roasted pumpkin, aromatic sage, earthy porcini mushrooms, and sweet pears in one comforting bowl.
• Transform Simple Ingredients into Gourmet Experience: Everyday vegetables and autumn produce become an elegant dish through careful techniques like drawing out pumpkin moisture, slowly caramelizing ingredients, and creating a rich, nuanced broth.
• Embrace Cozy Comfort with Seasonal Sophistication: This soup delivers warming winter vibes while maintaining refined culinary techniques, perfect for elevated home cooking that feels both rustic and restaurant-quality.
• Design Textural Masterpiece: Creamy soup base contrasts beautifully with crispy sage leaves, chunky vegetable pieces, and smooth chestnut pâté, creating a multi-dimensional eating experience that delights every spoonful.

Essential Items for Jamie Oliver’s Pumpkin Chestnut Soup

Main Ingredients:

Pumpkin: A sweet and hearty vegetable that forms the base of the soup, with a rich, smooth texture perfect for winter dishes.

Chestnuts: Sweet and nutty ingredient that adds depth and creates a creamy pâté-like texture for topping.

Pears: Soft fruits that add natural sweetness and complexity to the soup’s flavor profile.

Supporting Ingredients:

• Sage Leaves: Fresh herb with a robust, earthy flavor that enhances the soup and creates a crispy garnish.
• Cinnamon Stick: Warm spice that adds depth and subtle sweetness to the soup's overall taste.

• Chicken or Vegetable Broth: Provides the liquid base and adds rich savory flavor to the soup.
• Porcini Mushrooms: Dried mushrooms that contribute an intense, umami depth to the soup.

• Olive Oil: High-quality cooking oil used for sautéing and adding richness.
• Goat Cheese: Tangy cheese that adds a creamy, sharp element when crumbled on top.
• Garlic: Aromatic ingredient that provides a sharp, intense flavor to the chestnut mixture.
• Baguette: Crusty bread perfect for toasting and serving with the chestnut spread.

Jamie Oliver Pumpkin Chestnut Soup Recipe

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4.6 from 37 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Warmth radiates from Jamie Oliver’s pumpkin chestnut soup, a comforting blend of autumn’s richest flavors. Roasted chestnuts and silky pumpkin create a luxurious harmony that wraps you in seasonal comfort.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 1 large pumpkin (3 lbs / 1.36 kg)
• 8 cups (1.9 liters) chicken or vegetable broth
• 6 ounces (170 grams) vacuum-packed chestnuts
• 2 ripe pears

Secondary Ingredients:

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 onion
• ½ bunch of sage (⅓ ounce / 9 grams)
• ½ cinnamon stick
• ¾ ounce (21 grams) dried porcini mushrooms

Finishing Ingredients:

• 1 rustic French baguette (7 ounces / 198 grams)
• 3½ ounces (99 grams) crumbly goat’s cheese
• Olive oil
• Sea salt

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Instructions

1. Prepare the pumpkin by halving it, extracting the seeds, and removing the skin. Dice into 1.25-inch (3.18 centimeters) cubes. Sprinkle with a light pinch of sea salt and allow to rest for 30 minutes to extract excess moisture. Simultaneously, submerge dried porcini mushrooms in hot water for rehydration.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of olive oil in a large cooking pot over medium-high temperature. Introduce the cinnamon stick and half of the sage leaves to infuse flavor. After moisture extraction, thoroughly pat the pumpkin cubes dry and transfer to the pot. Sauté for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While the pumpkin caramelizes, peel and finely chop the onion and pears. Incorporate them into the pot with an additional tablespoon (15 milliliters) of olive oil. Continue cooking for 15 minutes, allowing vegetables to soften and develop rich flavors.
4. Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid and carefully avoiding sediment. Pour the mushroom liquid and chicken or vegetable broth into the pot. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick midway through cooking. Allow the soup to cool completely and refrigerate overnight to enhance flavor complexity.
5. Reheat the soup to serving temperature. In a separate small skillet, warm 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of olive oil and crisp the remaining sage leaves. Mince the garlic and reserved porcini mushrooms, adding them to the pan. Incorporate chestnuts and a small amount of water, cooking for 5 minutes and mashing into a spreadable consistency. Toast baguette slices, spread the chestnut mixture, and crumble goat cheese on top. Serve the soup garnished with the crispy sage leaves.

Notes

• Allow porcini mushrooms to soak overnight, unlocking deep umami essences that transform the soup’s flavor complexity.
• Generously salt pumpkin before cooking to extract excess moisture, concentrating its natural sweetness and creating a velvety texture.
• Slowly caramelize vegetables to develop rich, nuanced flavor layers that elevate the entire soup experience.
• Rest the finished soup in the refrigerator, giving ingredients time to harmonize and intensify their delicate taste profiles.
• Crisp sage leaves just before serving to create a delightful garnish that adds unexpected crunch and aromatic brilliance.

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: British

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 220 kcal
• Sugar: 6 g
• Sodium: 800 mg
• Fat: 8 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 34 g
• Fiber: 5 g
• Protein: 7 g
• Cholesterol: 10 mg