Tips for a Simple Pumpkin Soup Recipe | Lifestyle

by KcKudra

Do you always have leftover pumpkin after Halloween or Thanksgiving, and want to know how to cook it? Do you love pumpkin soup and want to make sure that you do not make any mistakes? Whatever your reason, there are lots of important tips for cooking with this versatile squash relative.

While most people stick to plain old pumpkin desserts, there are lots more options out there. Let us take a look at some of the things you should know about the pumpkin before you get started cooking. You will have a lot more luck!

The first thing to remember is that not every pumpkin will make great soup or pie. The kind of pumpkin you carve at Halloween has been bred to grow big and fast, to stand up to a lot of abuse, and to look pretty on your doorstep. Unfortunately, that means that it is not the best choice for food.

These kinds of pumpkins can be very tempting to people look for a great deal on pie ingredients, particularly right after Halloween. However, they are not a great choice for eating, though they compost well and can be fun to feed to the squirrels and other wildlife. The flesh is tough and fibrous, and not very strongly flavored.

This does not make this type of pumpkin completely inedible, but you have to know what you are doing if you are determined to use it. Make sure to remove the seeds, and then cook down the pumpkin in the oven or a pot of hot water, until the flesh has softened. Scoop it out of its skin and put the pulp in a food processor to remove any fibrous strands. It will work in pumpkin bread, chili, and other foods that do not need a lot of pumpkin taste.

For foods where you want that pumpkin taste to shine through, like pumpkin pie or an easy pumpkin soup recipe, look for smaller sugar pumpkins. Chock full of potassium, vitamin A and fiber, these pumpkins have a lot more flavor, are much sweeter, and have smoother, more pleasant flesh. They are often used for desserts, but work for any meal where you want the flavor of pumpkin to be a major player.

Pumpkins can be used in pumpkin soup in chunks, or pureed for a smooth, silky texture. Some recipes even cook the soup right in the pumpkin, and stir the flesh off the walls to make a creamy, interesting texture. It all depends on your preferences. Just make sure you process the pumpkin carefully, according to the recipe directions, to prevent problems with water content or incompletely cooked pumpkins.

Pumpkin is a wonderful choice for soup and lots more. Pay attention to the kind of pumpkin you have and make sure you cook it right to improve your chances of ending up with the perfect fall meal. Check out all your options for an excellent pumpkin soup this fall, and do not forget to pay attention when you go shopping.

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.

When you make classic pumpkin soup, be prepared for all your guests to be amazed at your culinary prowess. They will think you slaved hours over this incredible dish, when in fact it took less than a half hour. Go ahead and take your bows... no one will know your secret.