What's not to love about crema di zucca, or creamy pumpkin soup? The versatile autumn and winter staple has myriad possibilities, and here are five quick and simple variations you can try.
With potatoes
Peel, wash, and dice 11 oz. pumpkin and 11 oz. potatoes, then heat a finely chopped shallot in a large pot with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the vegetables and 2 cups vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste then let the soup simmer for around 30 minutes. Transfer the ingredients to a blender and mix with ½ cup of heavy cream. Serve with toasted bread crostini. For extra flavor and texture, crumble a few slices of cooked bacon over the soup.
With lentils
Bring 2 cups vegetable stock to a boil and in the meantime, dice 12 oz. fresh pumpkin and finely dice the shallot. Drizzle a large pot with olive oil and brown the shallot until soft, then add the pumpkin and vegetable stock and cook for a couple of minutes. Add 8 oz. lentils and continue cooking for 20 minutes (at most) over medium heat with a lid on. Once all the ingredients have softened, mix with an immersion blender until creamy. Serve hot with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
With carrots
Dice 1 red onion and brown it in olive oil in a large pot. After a few minutes, add 14 oz. diced pumpkin and 5 diced carrots. Cook for a few minutes, add 2 cups vegetable broth and a little salt, then let simmer for 20 minutes. Once all the ingredients have softened, transfer to a blender and mix until creamy. Serve with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
With leeks
This soup is an Italian winter classic. Clean and slice 4 oz. leeks, then cook in a large pot with olive oil. In the meantime, chop 11 oz. pumpkin into small cubes then add to the leeks along with salt (to taste) and the vegetable broth. Cover and let simmer for around 20 minutes. Once the pumpkin and leeks have softened, blend and serve — perhaps with some chopped rosemary and freshly ground black pepper.
With savoy cabbage
Start by cutting 11 oz. savoy cabbage into strips, then cook for 2 - 3 minutes in boiling salted water. In the meantime, cut 11 oz. pumpkin into cubes, finely chop 3 small sage leaves, and slice 1 onion. Cook 1 garlic clove in extra-virgin olive oil, then pour all the ingredients into the same pot with 2 cups broth and let cook for just over 15 minutes. At this point, blend and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the garlic, then add fried sage leaves with some freshly chopped rosemary and extra-virgin olive oil to serve.