Red Bell Pepper and Pumpkin Soup Recipe

This tasty pumpkin soup recipe is a nice pick-me-up type soup when you fancy something special for lunch or for a late afternoon snack. The French bread goes nicely with the soft, creamy pumpkin soup and the classic cream and parsley topping is a simple yet elegant garnish. You can omit the cream topping if you are watching your calorie intake but it does finish this soup off nicely.

The flavor of red bell pepper goes well with pumpkin and potatoes and the red also adds a richer color to the pumpkin soup. This is a classic pumpkin soup, which combines vegetables with broth, cream and a touch of sugar for a hint of sweetness. Sometimes simple soup recipes are the best and this one is both easy and flavorful. If you are making roasted pumpkin seeds, you can also use some of these and a crunchy topping for the pumpkin soup and save the rest for snacking. Homemade roasted pumpkin seeds recipes are easy to find and these go with nearly any pumpkin soup recipe.

You can use canned or defrosted pumpkin in this pumpkin soup recipe if you do not have fresh pumpkin. Fresh potatoes and bell pepper are best, if you have them. You might want to leave out the sugar or use honey or maple syrup instead for a hint of sweetness with a slightly different flavor. If you are not so keen on sweet soups you can leave out the sugar altogether but it is only a little bit and it does add a flavorful sweetness. The pumpkin and red bell pepper have their own natural
sweetness too.

Pumpkin Soup with Red Bell Pepper and Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pumpkin, cubed
• 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon cream
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 8 slices French bread, toasted
• 8 dollops cream, to garnish
• 8 sprigs parsley, to garnish

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions until they are soft. Add the potatoes, pumpkin and red bell pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Add the broth, sugar and seasonings, stir well and cook for 25 minutes or until everything is soft.
2. Blend the pumpkin soup with a stick blender, add 1 tablespoon of the cream and cook for 5 more minutes on a low heat. Serve hot, garnished with the cream and parsley, with the French bread on the side.

(Serves 4)

This pumpkin soup recipe can be served in a bowl or a big mug for a comforting and warming snack. The soup is thick enough to coat the crunchy French bread toast and you can dunk the bread in the soup to soak up plenty of delicious flavor. This very appealing red bell pepper and pumpkin soup recipe is one that you will want to make more than once. With its classic flavors and rich reddish orange color, this is one of the tastiest pumpkin soup recipes you can make and it is delightfully simple to put together as well.