Pumpkin Soup with Cranberries & Apples

Ever notice how you associate certain flavors with certain memories or events? Well this pumpkin soup with cranberry apple topping is essentially “Thanksgiving in a bowl” for me.

It somehow tastes like pumpkin pie, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and apple pie all in one creamy bite. It’s got everything but the turkey! I’ve adapted this recipe from one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Rachel Ray. I find that she never leads me astray and knows how to create simple meals with bold flavors. However, I like to make my own versions without any added sugar. The apples and cranberries are sweetener enough for me. 

My version uses heavy cream, but you could easily make this vegan by substituting cashew cream or coconut milk (that might change the flavor a bit). Then be sure to substitute more olive oil for the butter and use vegetable broth. If you are looking for gluten free, then omit the flour and cut back on the broth to make sure it isn’t too thin. 

This pumpkin soup will definitely warm you up on a cold day and give you all the Thanksgiving feels!

Pumpkin Soup with Cranberries and Apples

Thanksgiving in a bowl! Creamy pureed pumpkin mixed with thyme and nutmeg and topped with dried cranberries and apples.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Soup

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 stalks celery or substitute finely chopped celeriac
• 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 28-ounce can pumpkin puree or 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping

• 1 apple preferably crisp, such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
• 1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder more or less depending on preferred spiciness
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium high heat until the oil shimmers and the butter is melted.
• Add bay leaf, celery, and onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the celery is softened.
• Add flour and thyme then cook for a minute.
• Whisk in chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the pumpkin one large spoonful at a time and continue to whisk until it "melts" into the broth. Then simmer for about 10 minutes, uncovered, to thicken.
• While soup cooks, mix together the apple, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, and cinnamon.
• When the soup is done, turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cream and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle into bowls and top with the apples and cranberry mixture.

Notes

If you want to make this gluten free, omit the flour. The soup will be just slightly thinner, but just as tasty.

For a vegan version: add more olive oil to the pot instead of butter. Use vegetable broth. Substitute cashew cream or coconut milk for heavy cream. 

Keyword apples, cranberries, pumpkin, soup