Mary Berry Pumpkin Soup Recipe

This Mary Berry Pumpkin Soup is a creamy and rich recipe, which is made with fresh pumpkin and spinach. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe, ready in about 1 hour.

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Mary Berry Pumpkin Soup Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3 lb) pumpkin
• 150 g (5 oz) butter
• 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
• 1 litre (1 3/4 pints) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• salt and black pepper
• 30 g (1 oz) fresh or frozen peas
• 250 g (8 oz) spinach leaves, finely chopped
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) single cream

How To Make Mary Berry Pumpkin Soup

1. Prepare the pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin open, scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy fibres. Carefully cut the flesh away from the skin and chop it into 2 cm (3/4 in) chunks.
2. Sauté the leeks: Melt 100 g (3 1/2 oz) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sliced leeks, cover the pan, and cook very gently for 10 minutes or until soft but not coloured.
3. Simmer the soup base: Add the stock, pumpkin chunks, and grated nutmeg to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.
4. Cook the greens: While the soup simmers, cook the peas in a small pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly. In a separate saucepan, melt the remaining butter, add the spinach, cover, and cook gently for 3 minutes until it has wilted.
5. Blend and finish: Purée the pumpkin soup in a food processor or blender until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Return the soup to the pan and stir in the cream. Stir the cooked peas and wilted spinach into the soup, heat through gently, and serve hot.

Recipe Tips

• How to make peeling pumpkin easier? Instead of peeling it raw, you can cut the pumpkin in half, roast it at 200°C (400°F) for 30-40 minutes until tender, and then easily scoop the flesh out.
• Can I use a different squash? Yes, this recipe works beautifully with butternut squash or other sweet winter squashes.
• How to get an extra smooth soup? For the silkiest texture, after blending, you can pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve before returning it to the pan and adding the cream.
• Can I make this dairy-free? Certainly. Use olive oil or a plant-based spread instead of butter, and substitute the single cream with full-fat coconut milk or a dairy-free cream alternative.

What To Serve With Pumpkin Soup

This rich and creamy soup is delicious with simple accompaniments.

• A slice of warm, crusty bread
• A swirl of extra cream or plain yogurt
• A sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds
• Homemade croutons

How To Store Pumpkin Soup

• Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: It is best to freeze this soup before adding the cream, peas, and spinach, as the cream can split and the greens can become mushy upon reheating. Let the puréed pumpkin base cool, freeze for up to 3 months, then add the final ingredients after thawing and reheating.

FAQs

• Can I use canned pumpkin purée? Yes, you can. Substitute the fresh pumpkin with two 425g (15 oz) cans of pumpkin purée. Add it to the sautéed leeks along with the stock and simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld before proceeding with the recipe.
• Why add the peas and spinach at the end? This is done to preserve their texture and bright colour. If they were added earlier and puréed with the pumpkin, the soup’s colour would be less vibrant and you would lose the pleasant texture of the whole peas.
• Is this soup healthy? Yes, it’s packed with vitamins and minerals. Pumpkin is a great source of Vitamin A and fibre, while spinach is rich in iron and other essential nutrients.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry’s Split Pea and Gammon Soup Recipe
• Mary Berry Vegetable Minestrone Recipe
• Mary Berry’s Clam Chowder Recipe
• Mary Berry’s French Onion Soup Recipe