This is a rich and beautiful soup to serve anytime, but especially at your holiday table. And how cute are the croutons?!đ
The cookie/piecrust cutters came from Williams Sonoma. I bought them several years ago. The best part is that the croutons are made from sandwich bread. The cutters are so detailed, they elevate the croutons. People will think you spent a lot of time in the kitchen making them. It will be our secret! Of course, you can use any cookie cutters you have on hand.
This is not as healthy if you add all the half-and-half or cream! It's a holiday soup; it's time to splurge! But if you leave out the half-and-half, the soup is healthy, consisting mostly of vegetables and chicken stock. But why would you do that on Thanksgiving? đ
I make this soup a week or two before Thanksgiving and freeze it in plastic storage containers or plastic zip-lock bags. The night before Thanksgiving I defrost the soup in the refrigerator and warm it up on Thanksgiving day. You can also make the soup one or two days beforehand, and store in the refrigerator. Warm up before serving. For a fresh soup, wait to add the half and half 30 minutes before serving.
For a healthy alternative, you should try my Favorite Healthy Pumpkin Soup that is great any time of the year. đ
*There is a story surrounding the making and photography of this soup that I will share at the end. Let's just say, nothing ever goes as planned! đ
First, gather the ingredients
The Ingredients:
The Soup:
- 1 large green pepper, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, grated
- 3 tablespoon of parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme chopped
- 2 Tablespoons of butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) or a combination of both
- 1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes or peeled tomatoes. I like peeled Italian tomatoes since they are sweet. The brand I use is San Marzano.
- 1 29-ounce can of pumpkin or 2 15-oz cans
- 1 32-ounce carton of chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2 cups of half and half or cream
- salt and pepper taste
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of White Pepper
- a dash of Cayenne pepper
-1 teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin spice (optional)
- 2 cups of half and half
*Sorry if you like exact ingredients, instead of a pinch or a dash. Use your best judgment. đ
*I included flour and milk in the picture of the ingredients because I sometimes make a roux with milk and flour at the end of the recipe for added richness. But I decided adding half and half is easier and makes the soup just as rich, if not richer. If you want a healthier soup, just omit the half and half. The soup will still be delicious! đ
The Croutons:
- 3 or 4 slices of white or wheat bread
- 2 tablespoons of butter, melted, or cooking spray
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The Soup Recipe:
1. Chop the onions, green pepper, parsley, and thyme. Grate the garlic.
2. Sauté the green pepper, onion, parsley, and thyme in the butter or EVOO until soft, about a couple of minutes. Then add the garlic and saute for a couple more minutes. Do not burn the garlic or it will be bitter.
3. Add the tomatoes, pumpkin, chicken broth, and spices; simmer for one hour.
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4. Carefully use an immersion blender, and blend the soup until smooth. You could also use a regular blender, and blend small batches of the cooled soup until smooth.
Our immersion blender is as old as the hills. The newer ones look much nicer. đ Be very careful when using the blender or hot soup will splatter. Keep the blender towards the bottom of the pot.
5. Add the half-and-half. Taste the soup and adjust the spices.
6. Garnish with creme fraiche, or sour cream, parsley, pumpkin seeds, and the cute croutons below. đ
The Crouton Recipe:
* Make these earlier in the day, or the night before if limited on time.
1. Using a cookie cutter of choice, cut out the croutons from the slices of bread.
2. Place the cut-outs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush them with melted butter, or spray with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes or until crisp.
Look how pretty the soup looks! And it tastes even better!
But notice, no croutons in the pictures immediately above. So now for the story.....
I had planned that morning to make the soup and croutons before I had to go to work in the afternoon.
Everything was going so well. The croutons turned out great, better than expected. They were so cute, and they would be the finishing touch of the soup. The soup was good. It looked good, and it tasted good.
I had planned on taking the finished pictures in my living room because of the natural morning light.
I don't have a professional camera, so I have to improvise and make use of the best light I can.
Also, I already had the table set for Thanksgiving, so it would be relatively easy. I had carefully planned-out how I would get the soup to the table with all the accompaniments.
I had a ladder ready so I could take pictures at every possible angle. It all worked. I did not fall off the ladder or drop the soup. I had 15 or so beautiful pictures. The kitchen was a mess, but I didn't care.
I put the leftover soup in plastic containers, then in the freezer. I would defrost them in time for Thanksgiving. Yay! The pictures were finished, and one recipe was done for Thanksgiving. In addition, I had enough time to get ready and get to work.
While in the shower, I realized one thing....I took all the pictures without the croutons!! I started to scream in the shower, "NO!" I realize this may not seem like a big deal, but I had been working on this blog post for at least five hours. I wanted the croutons in the picture! I rushed out of the shower, quickly took the soup out of the freezer, and said a prayer.
I carefully poured the soup into the bowl, then added the accompaniments including the croutons.
It looked pretty good, but I decided that paprika would make the dish look prettier, and the croutons stand out. It didn't. It made the soup look too dark. I got a little carried away with the paprika! I did not like the additions of the paprika, but I had no time.
I took several pictures and called it a day! I wanted the first picture to include the croutons, so there you go. I edited the pictures as best I could; they would have to do!
Even if the pictures don't look perfect, that's okay. Things happen in the kitchen!
To paraphrase Julia Child, "What happens in the kitchen, stays in the kitchen."
She actually said something like, "If you drop a lamb in the kitchen and no one is watching, pick it up!" lol! I just love her! The food will still taste good, and you will get to share it with your family and friends!
And here is an actual quote from the beloved Julia Child, "People who love to eat are always the best people."
I think you will enjoy this soup. This is not a hard recipe, but it does take a little time, so plan ahead. It will be worth it!
And P.S. Don't add the paprika! Well if you do, add it sparingly!
Happy Thanksgiving, and Bon Appetit!! đ
Updated photos using my new Le Creuset Pumpkin Dutch Oven!
Love that you included the âreal lifeâ experiences of cooking. How many times do we forget a key ingredient or special touch. So glad your shower was the magical place to remind you đđđ. And Iâm sure your soup will be delicious on Thanksgiving. You have a story to tell.