Description
This creamy pumpkin soup is a comforting and flavorful fall favorite, perfectly paired with crispy grilled cheese croutons made with provolone and goat cheese. The soup is gently simmered with aromatic spices and finished with rich heavy cream, creating a smooth and luscious texture. Ideal for a cozy lunch or dinner, this easy recipe serves 4 and comes together in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
Grilled Cheese Croutons
- 4 slices white bread
- 4 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- â…“ cup crumbled goat cheese
- Fresh basil, for topping
Instructions
- Prepare the soup base: In a large pot, whisk together the vegetable or chicken broth, pumpkin puree, garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, ensuring all ingredients are well combined.
- Simmer with heavy cream: Once the soup reaches a boil, stir in the heavy cream. Reduce the heat to medium and let the soup simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes to marry the flavors and thicken the texture slightly.
- Make grilled cheese croutons: While the soup simmers, butter one side of each slice of bread. On the non-buttered side of two slices, place a slice of provolone cheese, then sprinkle goat cheese crumbles on top. Add another slice of provolone cheese over the goat cheese, then top with the other buttered side of bread to form sandwiches. Heat a lightly greased pan over medium-high heat and cook the sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden and crisp. Remove from the pan and cut into 1-inch pieces to create croutons.
- Serve: Ladle the pumpkin soup into bowls, garnish with cracked black pepper and fresh basil leaves. Serve hot alongside the grilled cheese croutons for dipping or topping.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or coconut cream.
- Adjust the seasoning of salt and pepper according to your taste preference.
- Use fresh pumpkin puree for the best flavor or canned 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- The grilled cheese croutons add a delightful texture contrast, but you can use regular croutons if preferred.
- Fresh basil enhances flavor and adds a fresh aroma to the soup just before serving.
