Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tablespoon butter (or extra virgin olive oil)
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Assembly and Baking
- 2 small edible pumpkins (approximately 4 to 5 inches wide)
- 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed but still cold; use regular or gluten-free puff pastry)
- Heavy cream or milk for brushing puff pastry
Instructions
- Prepare the pumpkins: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the tops off the pumpkins and carefully scoop out all seeds and stringy pulp, leaving the shells hollow but unroasted.
- Sauté aromatics: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds to release its fragrance.
- Make the soup base: Add pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, heavy cream, maple syrup, dried sage, thyme, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is creamy and moderately thickened.
- Cool the soup: Remove the soup from heat and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes until lukewarm to avoid steaming the pastry during baking.
- Prepare puff pastry lids: Using an inverted bowl slightly larger (by about 1 inch) than the pumpkin openings, cut two circles from the cold puff pastry sheet with a paring knife. This will form the tops for the pumpkins.
- Fill the pumpkins: Place hollow pumpkins on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the lukewarm pumpkin soup into each pumpkin, filling them about halfway to two-thirds full, leaving at least an inch gap from the rim.
- Apply puff pastry lids: Drape a puff pastry circle over each filled pumpkin. Fold the edges upwards and pleat or crimp the pastry rusticly around the rim, leaving some room for puffing. Cut a small slit or ‘X’ in the center of each pastry top to allow steam to escape during baking.
- Brush and bake: Lightly brush the puff pastry tops with heavy cream or milk to promote golden browning. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry has fully puffed and turned a golden brown color.
- Rest and serve: Remove the pumpkins from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. To enjoy, break through the puff pastry with a spoon and savor the warm, creamy pumpkin soup inside.
Notes
- Use small edible pumpkins around 4 to 5 inches wide to create individual bowls.
- If you prefer a dairy-free version, substitute heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk and butter with olive oil.
- Do not roast the pumpkins before filling; baking with the soup inside steams the pumpkin to tenderness.
- Allow the soup to cool to lukewarm before filling to prevent soggy pastry.
- Cutting a vent in the pastry top prevents it from becoming soggy and allows steam to escape.
- For a gluten-free alternative, use gluten-free puff pastry.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
