Creamy & Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Sage Brown Butter Croutons

This is my very first post (eek!), and it seems apropos to start off with a soup recipe. Soup is one of my most favorite, go-to meals. I make a pot of soup at least once a week. It’s easy. It’s comforting. It can be totally satisfying. AND, in most cases, it requires a bunch of chopping! OK, so that last characteristic is probably only a positive for me…I find chopping vegetables somewhat therapeutic. I know. It’s weird.

Anyway.

This particular soup is especially wonderful during these crisp, cool fall months. It calls upon those classic seasonal flavors: brown butter, pumpkin, and sage.

Before we get into the recipe, I have a confession to make: I am a relatively new passenger on the pumpkin bandwagon. It’s almost blasphemous to admit that these days with the abundance of pumpkin and pumpkin spice related goodies around this time of year, but it’s true. I never understood all the hoopla surrounding pumpkin pie. To be completely honest, I’m not even a big fan of pie at all. I would much rather eat my weight in cookies, cakes, or brownies. That said, I think my aversion to pumpkin pie in particular was more related to the texture rather than the flavor. I enjoy the flavor in many things…ice cream, muffins, lattes, ravioli, and this soup.

This soup is not sweet like many of the aforementioned pumpkin goodies. Instead, it’s intensely savory with a nice spicy bite from red pepper flakes and warm sage. I do add a drizzle of maple syrup at the end, but that’s mostly for balance, not sweetness. To play up the creaminess of the pumpkin puree, I also add cannellini beans. They add the BEST texture to creamy soups and sauces but without adding the extra fat and calories of cream. Hey, I’m not knockin’ the good stuff…it’s just nice to have an alternative for everyday eating.

I’m a texture freak. I love a creamy, silky soup topped with something crunchy. In fact, I think it should be a mandatory addition. Enter the AMAZEBALLS croutons. Coated in a light drizzle of sage-infused brown butter and baked until nutty and crisp…they are the perfect compliment to the one-note texture of the soup. I chose to use a seeded multigrain bread because it adds wonderful flavor and…you guessed it…TEXTURE. Sooo good.

I definitely don’t see myself falling off the bandwagon anytime soon.

Creamy & Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Sage Brown Butter Croutons

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• Author: Molly
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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For the Soup:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• 1 (15-oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15-oz) cans pumpkin puree
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup half-and-half (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Croutons:

• 1 multigrain loaf of bread, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove, crushed but left whole
• ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
• Salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

For the Soup:

1. Heat the oil and butter together in a large pot. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, and red pepper flakes and cook for another few minutes. Add the spices and cook until fragrant.
2. Deglaze with the dry sherry and cook until mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the stock, beans, and pumpkin puree to pot and stir until well combined.
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes.
5. Puree the mixture using an immersion blender or by transferring the soup in batches to a blender or food processor.
6. Stir in the maple syrup, vinegar, and half-and-half. Check for seasonings and keep warm until ready to serve.

For the Croutons:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread the cubed bread out in an even layer on the tray.
2. Heat the oil and butter together in a small pot over low heat, swirling the pot frequently. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic clove and sage.
3. Cook, swirling almost constantly, until the mixture just starts to turn brown and smells nutty. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
4. Discard the garlic clove and reserve the crispy sage leaves for garnish. Pour the butter mixture over the cubed bread, tossing well to combine, and season everything with salt and pepper.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, or until the bread is golden and crisp.
6. Serve the soup hot garnished with the croutons and crispy sage leaves.

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