Pumpkin Soup with Greek Yogurt and Honey
I can’t get enough of pumpkins in the Fall! The sweetness of this all-American vegetable goes amazingly well with Greek yogurt, Greek honey, Greek olive oil, and Greek kefi! There are a surprising number of pumpkin dishes, sweet and savory, in Greek cooking. You'll find great single varietal Greek regional honeys on my online store here.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds/1 k pumpkin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4-5 fresh sage leaves or 1-2 sprigs of dried Greek sage tea faskomilo
- 2 tbsp. Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 2 leeks white parts only, chopped
- 1 large carrot finely chopped or thinly sliced
- 3 shallots chopped
- 2 large onions chopped
- 6 cloves garlic melted
- 3 tbsp. Greek thyme or pine honey or more to taste
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bouquet garni bay leaf, thyme and parsley tied together
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup strained Greek yogurt
- Ground nutmeg
For the garnish
- ½ cup. crumbled feta cheese
- Balsamic Syrup for garnish
- Olive oil for garnish
- Mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
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1. Preheat oven to 375 °F/180 ° C. Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with fresh or dried sage, and brush with oil. Place pumpkin in a nonstick baking pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven, let it cool slightly, and remove the flesh with a large spoon. Coarsely chop the flesh.
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2. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute the leek, carrot, onion and garlic until soft. Add the chopped pumpkin, salt and pepper. Pour in the honey and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and herbs and cook all together for 30 minutes.
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3. Remove the herbs with a slotted spoon. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. If you desire a very smooth soup, pass the liquid through a sieve or chinois then place back into the pot.
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4. Reheat the pureed soup just before serving, and whisk in the butter and yogurt. Season to taste with additional salt, pepper and nutmeg.
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To serve: ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic syrup. Sprinkle with crumbled feta. Enjoy!
Love soup? Check out my online class “Comfort in a Soup Bowl!”
