3poundpie or sugar pumpkin it can be a bit smaller or larger
1sweet potatomedium or large
2tablespoonsolive oil
1quartchicken stock
½cupheavy creamyou can substitute half and half
⅓cup100% pure maple syrup
½teaspoonnutmegdivided
1teaspooncinnamondivided
2teaspoonskosher saltdivided
Optional: creme fraiche for serving
Optional: roasted pumpkin seeds or pepitas for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Use a sharp knife and carefully cut the pumpkin in quarters or smaller pieces and use a spoon to scrape out the fibers and the seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon works great for this task. Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise.
Place the pumpkin and sweet potato on a rimmed baking sheet and brush the flesh with olive oil—then, season with one teaspoon salt, one-half teaspoon cinnamon, and one-quarter teaspoon of nutmeg.
Roast until both the pumpkin and sweet potato are soft, which should take about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. You should be able to pierce the flesh with a fork easily.
Allow the vegetables to cool slightly and then use your fingers to pull off the peels. Put the flesh into a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Use a potato masher and mash the larger chunks. Add the chicken stock and maple syrup and cook about ten minutes until the mixture starts to simmer.
Turn down the heat to low and use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
Add the cream, the remaining nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to combine. Taste and if it needs it, add additional salt, cinnamon, or maple syrup.
Serve the soup immediately. Optional, top with a small spoonful of crème fraîche and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Video
Notes
If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender, but you may have to process the soup in batches. Also, be sure to place a folded dish towel over the blender lid to prevent any hot liquid or steam from escaping. You can substitute sour cream for the crème fraîche.Instead of the pepitas or roasted pumpkin seeds, my Easy Stovetop Candied Pecans would also make a delicious topping for this soup. Instead of throwing away your pumpkin seeds, save them, and roast them. Here is a link to an easy recipe.This recipe, as written, is gluten-free. If you would like to make this soup dairy-free, you can substitute canned coconut milk or even almond milk for the heavy cream. You can also substitute canned pumpkin puree for the fresh pumpkin in this recipe. You will not have the same depth of flavor roasting brings, but it will still be delicious. You will need two to three cups of the puree. I used homemade chicken stock when making this recipe because I had some on hand, but I have used purchased stock with good results before, and you can too. You can also make this recipe without the sweet potato. II have made it with a russet potato before and have even left it out entirely.