Lazy Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my pumpkin soup tasteless? ›

Try these hacks for tasteless pumpkin soup: Add a few tablespoons of garlic or chilli-infused oil to the soup and stir until well combined before serving.

That's because the low, slow style of cooking lets the flavors simmer together for hours, creating a much richer and more flavorful meal.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Pumpkin & ginger soup

Place the pumpkin, shallots, ginger and some oil in a large saucepan and sauté until soft. Add the stock, coconut milk and chilli powder. Season, then bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes. Blitz in a food processor then serve with the fresh herbs, lime juice and a splash of coconut milk.

Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, pumpkin is incredibly healthy. What's more, its low calorie content makes it a weight-loss-friendly food. Its nutrients and antioxidants may boost your immune system, protect your eyesight, lower your risk of certain cancers and promote heart and skin health.

Stir through a little freshly squeezed orange juice after blending along with salt to season and some red wine vinegar for an edge just like they did to that first recorded pumpkin soup. Flavour the onions with a generous teaspoon of smoked paprika.

"When a slow cooker is too full, it may not heat the food evenly," explains Leal. As a result, some parts of the dish may overcook, while others remain undercooked. "This can also increase the risk of foodborne illness, because the food might not reach a safe temperature throughout," she says.

That varies by what's inside the slow cooker and also by the appliance's setting and model, the experts say. Most recipes for all-day cooking call for 6 to 8 hours on low. Quality- (and safety-) wise, another 1 to 2 hours in 'keep warm' mode won't mess things up.

Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe. In fact, taking the lid off to stir food causes the slow cooker to lose a significant amount of heat, extending the cooking time required. Therefore, it is best not to remove the lid for stirring.

Like all sweet and creamy textures, pumpkin loves the savoury flavour of bacon, fried until crisp and sprinkled on top of a pumpkin and potato puree. Grilled pork goes well with pumpkin. Beef is also a great protein for pumpkin dishes.

What pairs well with pumpkin soup? ›

Bread and crackers are arguably the best side dish to serve with soup to soak up all that goodness. Pumpkin soup is the ideal soup to eat with bread because it's smooth and creamy. No little bits will fall off your cracker or slice, and the carbs will keep you satisfied long after you've cleaned your bowl.

The Sugar Pie Pumpkin is often considered the crème de la crème of cooking pumpkins. Its deep orange flesh is sweet, smooth, and creamy, making it perfect for pies, soups, and purees. This culinary gem pairs beautifully with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, creating irresistible autumnal flavors.

If the fresh pumpkin is overripe, it can start to ferment and develop a sour taste. Another factor to consider is the type of fresh pumpkin you're using.

Most canned pumpkin is pureed pumpkin. It's been cooked and canned, but you'd have to cook it anyways to make it soft enough to puree. As long as you get plain canned pumpkin without added seasonings, it's the same as what you would make at home.

Canned pumpkin (labeled as "100% pure pumpkin") is a purée of pumpkin that is sometimes mixed with other kinds of winter squash. It is unsweetened and does not contain any added spices. Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing, and you'll often see the terms used interchangeably in recipes and cookbooks.

Add acidity: A squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a dash of vinegar, or a splash of wine can brighten the flavors of a soup and make it taste more complex. Experiment with different cooking methods: Roasting or caramelizing vegetables before adding them to the soup can bring out thei.

Use fresh, good quality ingredients like vegetables and herbs. Add a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice to your soup to make it taste better. Use a high-quality broth or stock as a base for your soup. Roast or caramelize your vegetables before adding them to your soup to bring out their natural sweetness.

If you find that your homemade or store-bought broth is thin and bland, you can concentrate its flavors by cooking it a little bit longer." Make sure to remove the lid or tilt it slightly to let the steam escape. Reducing your broth to two-thirds of its original volume should result in two times the flavor," she says.

Cook It on the Stove

Briefly cooking your canned pumpkin purée on the stove can help improve both the flavor and texture. This method helps reduce excess moisture, which gives the pumpkin a superior texture. It also releases the natural pumpkin flavor and helps reduce the metallic taste from the can.