*Per serving, estimate. Serves 8.
This Hokkaido pumpkin soup (also known as red kuri squash soup) is a hearty, creamy bowl in the style of German home cooking. Pumpkin, carrots, celeriac, leek and potatoes are roasted with crisp bacon, simmered in vegetable broth and blended smooth.
The Hokkaido goes in with its skin on, so there is no peeling, and the potatoes get only a good wash. A dollop of sour cream and a few drops of strong Styrian pumpkin seed oil finish each plate.
It makes about 8 servings in one big pot. The stock and bacon used for this recipe are gluten-free, but this is no guarantee: read the label of the exact products you buy.
Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup with Bacon
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Ingredients
- 1100 g Hokkaido pumpkin, washed, halved and deseeded, skin left on 1 whole pumpkin, about 2.4 lb. Yields roughly 900 to 950 g of flesh once deseeded
- 370 g carrots 3 carrots, peeled; about 13 oz
- 200 g celeriac peeled; about 7 oz, roughly one eighth of a bulb
- 1 small piece of leek sliced into fine rings; weight not given in the source
- 1 bunch fresh parsley weight not given in the source
- 125 g diced bacon 1 pack; about 4.4 oz. Contains pork. Check the label
- 500 g potatoes mealy (floury) if possible, washed and left unpeeled; about 4 to 5 medium potatoes, about 1.1 lb
- 2 medium onions, peeled and finely diced
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced optional
- 1 tbsp butter or cooking oil 15 ml. Only if the bacon is very lean and the pot has little fat
- 1.5 to 1.7 l vegetable broth about 6 to 7 cups, depending on how thick you like the soup. Check the label
- 200 ml sour cream about ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. Most of it goes into the pot, the rest is for serving (see the steps). Check the label
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- freshly grated nutmeg generous, to taste
- 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 5 to 10 ml, to taste at the end
- 1 tsp sweet paprika optional; or a small piece of fresh ginger (1 to 2 cm, finely chopped) instead
- Styrian pumpkin seed oil, for serving optional; a few drops per plate, the taste is strong
- sour cream, for serving optional; the part of the 200 that is not stirred into the soup. Check the label
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Wash the Hokkaido well, halve it and scrape out the seeds and fibers with a tablespoon. Do not peel it, the skin turns butter-soft when cooked. Cut the halves into quarters, then into strips about 2 cm (¾ inch) wide.
- Peel the carrots and the celeriac. Scrub the potatoes well but leave them unpeeled (our tip). Cut the carrots into slices and the celeriac into pieces 1 to 2 cm (about ½ to ¾ inch) thick. Halve the potatoes if needed; small ones can be cooked whole.
- Halve the leek lengthwise, wash it thoroughly and cut it into fine rings. Peel and finely dice the onions and garlic. Wash the parsley, shake it dry and chop the leaves finely. The stems can be chopped very finely and cooked along if you like.
- Crisp the bacon. Heat a large soup pot (at least 4.5 to 5 liters, about 5 quarts) without added fat. Fry all 125 g of diced bacon over medium to high heat until crisp. Leave the bacon and the rendered fat in the pot; the bacon is blended into the soup with the vegetables later.
- Sweat the vegetables. If there is little fat in the pot, add 1 tbsp butter or oil. Cook the onions, garlic and leek in the fat for about 2 to 3 minutes until glassy. Add the pumpkin, carrots, celeriac and potatoes (cut as above) and the parsley, and roast them for about 5 minutes over strong heat, stirring. The roasted bits give the soup a lot more depth.
- Deglaze and simmer. Pour in about 1.4 to 1.5 liters (about 6 cups) of the vegetable broth, so the vegetables are well covered. Bring to a boil once, then reduce the heat and simmer gently with the lid on over medium heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the pumpkin, carrots and potatoes are soft (test with a knife).
- Blend. Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup fine and creamy with a hand blender.
- Finish. Stir 150 g of the 200 ml sour cream into the pot and keep the rest for serving. If the soup is still too thick because of the potato starch, pour in some hot broth (the remaining 100 to 200 ml). Season boldly with salt, pepper, plenty of freshly grated nutmeg and 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Optional: stir in the 1 tsp sweet paprika or the small piece of finely chopped fresh ginger (1 to 2 cm) together with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Be careful with the salt, because the broth and the bacon already bring some.
- Serve. Ladle the hot soup into deep plates or bowls and add a dollop of sour cream. Tip: drizzle a little genuine Styrian pumpkin seed oil on the plate. Only a few drops, the taste is strong.
Notes
Questions about Hokkaido pumpkin soup
Do I have to peel the Hokkaido pumpkin?
No. Wash the Hokkaido, scrape out the seeds and fibers, and cook it with the skin on. The skin turns butter-soft during cooking and the soup is blended smooth anyway.
Is this pumpkin soup gluten-free?
The stock (tellofix) and the diced bacon used for this recipe are gluten-free, and the recipe lists no gluten-containing ingredients. We do not give a guarantee or certification. If you use other stock brands or other bacon, read the label of the exact products, since some processed meats contain additives. Also check sour cream, nutmeg and pepper if you need to be strict.
What can I use instead of bacon?
The recipe is written with bacon, which gives the soup its hearty note and the fat for roasting the vegetables. The source does not give a version without it, so we have not tested one.
Why does the recipe use so many potatoes?
The potatoes (500 g, ideally mealy) are about half the weight of the pumpkin flesh and give the blended soup its thick, filling body through their starch. If it gets too thick, thin it with hot broth.
How much of the sour cream goes into the pot?
Stir 150 g of the 200 ml into the soup and keep the rest for serving on the plates.