Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

Spice up your Creamy Pumpkin Soup recipe with Chili Cran-Apple Relish! This rich, savory dish is packed with flavor, fruits and veggies and can be enjoyed year-round.  

Start by preheating your oven to 375°. Next, prepare the butternut squash and acorn squash by cutting each in half and removing any seeds. Add your squash and water to a baking sheet and cook in the oven until perfectly tender.  

This part might get a little messy: peel the skin from the squash, then add the cooked vegetables to a food processor. Add pumpkin purée and heavy cream of choice, and blend for a smooth, buttery consistency.  

You’ll want to make a roux which will serve as the base of your soup, creating a thickness and adding flavor to your dish. To start, allow butter to melt over medium heat in a large pot; then add fresh minced onion and bold spices of salt, pepper, thyme and Italian seasoning to the roux. Once the onions are caramelized and soft, incorporate the flour until the mixture is a beautiful golden brown. Merge the roux and squash mixture to create a creamy, blended soup.

To add texture to this dish, we suggest making a delicious Chili Cran-Apple Relish to top over the pumpkin soup. This 4-ingredient garnish is easy to prepare! In a separate bowl, combine dice apples and cranberries and top with honey and hot sauce for a bold, spicy yet sweet taste.

Add your Creamy Pumpkin Soup to a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste and top with Chili Cran-Apple Relish to your liking. Bon appétit!

Prep Time:  20 minutes   |    Cook Time:  1 hour, 10  minutes   |    Total Time:  1 hour, 30  minutes   |    Servings:  8

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash
• 2 acorn squash
• 4 cups  Friendly Farms  Heavy Whipping Cream
• 15 ounces  Baker’s Corner  100% Pure Canned Pumpkin*
• 3 tablespoons  Countryside Creamery  Unsalted Butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon  Stonemill  Iodized Salt, plus additional to taste
• 1½ teaspoons  Stonemill  Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tablespoon  Stonemill  Italian Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons  Baker’s Corner  All Purpose Flour
• 1 apple
• ½ cup  Southern Grove  Dried Cranberries
• 3 tablespoons  Simply Nature  Organic Wildflower Honey
• 1 tablespoon  Burman’s  Hot Sauce

*These are Seasonal items that are only in stores for a limited time and may no longer be available.

Directions:                                   

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Cut butternut squash and acorn squash in half and remove seeds. Lay squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Pour water into baking sheet until water reaches ½ way up the side of the pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until squash are soft.
3. Peel squash and add flesh to a food processor along with heavy cream and pumpkin, process until smooth.
4. In a large stockpot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and thyme. Sauté until onions are caramelized. Sprinkle flour over onions to make a roux. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until roux is golden brown.
5. Add squash mixture and bring to a light simmer for 15-20 minutes.
6. While soup is simmering, dice apple into small cubes and combine with cranberries, honey and hot sauce. Stir to combine.
7. Season soup with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish soup with 1 tablespoon of apple mixture.

TIP: The squash is used as a thickener in this recipe. If using large squash, an extra cup of heavy cream can be used to thin the soup out if necessary.

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Kevin, ALDI Test Kitchen