Pumpkin Tomato Soup in a Whole Pumpkin

A roasted pumpkin serves as the bowl and a key ingredient for this creamy soup. Instead of carving a jack-o’-lantern, try carving a soup bowl this autumn for a dinner that makes an irresistibly seasonal presentation.  Fire-roasted tomatoes keep the soup bright, and while I add cream, it can be omitted or substituted with a non-dairy alternative toward the end of cooking.  Everything is cooking directly in the whole pumpkin before being blended smooth, and Gruyère-topped croutons take it over the top.

Recently my mother gifted me a beautiful plate with wintry oranges reminiscent of the clove-studded ones she would make each holiday season.  She continually has gifted me a love of all things seasonal, turning tiny moments into grand celebrations of the time of year.  The first time I enjoyed soup from a whole pumpkin she used it as a bowl rather than an ingredient, which was just as fun and can be done as well.  This creamy tomato version includes pumpkin gently scraped from the inside of the roasted tureen.

Ingredients

5 ½ to 6 pound baking pumpkin
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes in their juices
1 ¾ cups unsalted or low-salt chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Optional:  Gruyère toasts or croutons for serving

How to Choose and Carve the Pumpkin

For this soup recipe, you will need a pumpkin large enough to hold the fire-roasted tomatoes, stock, and other ingredients. I find that a baking pumpkin that weighs between 5 ½ to 6 pounds works well.  A small pumpkin will cook too quickly and will not hold enough liquid.  Pumpkins grown for jack-o’-lanterns tend to be watery and have less flavor.

When selecting a pumpkin for this recipe, choose one that has a nice diameter, as you have the option of putting an immersion blender into the top hole after cooking to puree the soup right in the pumpkin.  Alternately, you can ladle the contents into a bowl and puree for the same results.

To create a pumpkin lid, begin by tracing the shape of your lid on the pumpkin gently with a knife.  Insert the knife diagonally at a 45-degree angle and carve a circular opening.  Scrape any seeds and strings from the lid and set aside.  Hollow the pumpkin by scooping out the seeds and strings being careful not to poke a hole in the pumpkin or scrape away the flesh.

How to Make the Pumpkin Tomato Soup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Rub the inside and outside of the pumpkin (including the lid) with olive oil and place it in a pie or baking dish.  Add the butter, brown sugar, chopped onion, fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, and heavy cream to the pumpkin leaving about an inch of space at the top.  If all the chicken stock does not fit inside the pumpkin, reserve the remaining stock and add it during the final step of blending the soup.

Put the lid back on the pumpkin and bake for 1 ½ hours, during which time the pumpkin will turn a deep color.  Remove the lid and bake for about 20 more minutes or until the interior flesh is tender but not mushy.  Be careful not to pierce too deeply so you don’t poke a hole in the pumpkin bowl.  If the pumpkin is cooked too long, the walls tend to become soft and may collapse (a note on that below).

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and gently scrape a bit of the pumpkin flesh from the sides of the pumpkin being careful not to pierce it.  At this point the soup will need to be blended.  Ladle the soup from the pumpkin into a blender, puree, then return to the pumpkin bowl.  Alternately insert an immersion blender in the pumpkin, again being careful not to puncture it.  Season with kosher salt as necessary and freshly cracked black pepper.

Note:  If the pumpkin bowl collapses while preparing the soup, ladle the contents and some of the flesh into a bowl and puree it before serving.  Sometimes the pumpkin itself will change shape depending on how much flesh was scraped.  The soup can be served in bowls or small individually roasted pumpkins.

How to Make Gruyère Toasts or Croutons

Slice a baguette or preferred bread and lightly butter it.  If slices are large, you may wish to cut into smaller pieces.  Top with grated Gruyère, chopped fresh parsley, and freshly cracked black pepper.  Bake until cheese has melted and bread is toasty – about 10 to 15 minutes.

Top soup with Gruyère toasts if desired and additional freshly cracked black pepper.

For another way to fill a pumpkin, try this floral centerpiece.