Autumn Vibes: roasted pumpkin soup with thyme

At Maison d’ Aquitaine, we’re all about practicality in the kitchen and this pumpkin soup recipe is super easy, as well as being creamy AND healthy!

It calls for roasted pumpkin for maximum flavor and can be easily made in an airfryer for a no-mess instant entrée (or in the oven alternatively), then finished on the stove.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (tbsp) olive oil, divided

• 1 3kg citrouille (pumpkin) approximately

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 4 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced

• ½ teaspoon (tsp) sea salt

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) thyme - fresh or dried

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• 500ml hot water

• 100ml full fat coconut milk - optional

• A tiny dash of cayenne pepper - optional, if you like spice

• 1 tablespoon (tbsp) of honey or sugar - optional

• 3 tablespoons (tbsp) graines de citrouille (pumpkin seeds) - optional

Recipe

This recipe has been created for an airfryer but can easily be adapted for the pumpkin to be roasted in an oven*.

1. Carefully halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds (you can roast the seads if you ’d like but these can sometimes be much tougher than shop bought if they are larger). Then slice the tough skin off the pumpkin slices.

2. Cut the pumpkin slices into quarters and then chop into approximately 5 cm cubes. Place in the airfryer, drizzling the 2tbsp of the olive oil and the thyme all over and shake or stir to coat the cubes. Roast for 35 minutes at 180° or longer depending on your facilities (airfryer will need less time than an oven*), until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.

3. Heat the remaining 2 tbsps of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add onion, garlic, salt and optional honey or sugar. Stir to combine. Alternatively, throw all these ingredients into the airfryer to save on your washing up and continuing cooking! Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Use a stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit. Combine the vegetable stock cube with the hot water and pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to develop.

5. While the soup is cooking, toast the graines de citrouille in a medium skillet/frying pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, golden and making little popping noises. You want them to be nice and toasty, but not burnt. Transfer them to a bowl to cool.

6. Once the pumpkin mixture is cooked, stir in the optional coconut milk or add more water as required. Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly. You can use a hand blender to blend this soup in the pot or just mash it if you aren’t looking for an extra velvety texture, are low on time etc.

7. Taste and adjust if necessary (I thought the soup was just right as is, but you might want to add more coconut milk for extra creaminess/milder flavor, or honey to make it a little sweeter).

8. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle graines de citrouille over the soup and serve.

9. Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day! And you can add curry powder, cumin seeds and/or coriander powder to create a different spiced-up version). Or, freeze for up to 3 months.

   You may need to roast the pumpkin for up to 20 minutes more in a preheated oven (at 180°) on a lined tray (with baking paper with parchment paper for easy cleanup.)

By now you may realise that we love an airfryer at Maison d’ Aquitaine! But we don’t always love seeing them on display. They can look great on a counter, but, if you want to have yours hidden away contact us about the various options available or see our Feature Units page or recent blog to find out more.

Photo courtesty of LIFE Kitchens. Units and worktop available from Maison d’Aquitaine.

About the author

Emma studied food and nutrition before focusing on furniture and design history at university in Manchester.

With over 20 years in senior product design and communications roles, she has ghostwritten for publications including The Times and The Financial Times.

In 2024, she and her husband, Craig, founded Maison d'Aquitaine to provide sustainably made kitchens for traditional French homes. They have lived in France since 2011 with their children. Emma is a vegetarian at home and a pescetarian in French restaurants! In her spare time, she works with the Dordogne-based animal charity, Phoenix Association.