Soup is something I get really excited about when fall comes around. This Autumn Soup has so much goodness that just feels like silk on your tongue. Silk in the middle of a chilly forest path covered in colored leaves! Ok, enough with the metaphors..... Have you ever had this soup at Panera? This recipe is the closest I've found, and I love it even more. Topped with a swirl of cream and toasted pumpkin seeds, you are going to fall in love with it too!
Autumn Soup
Serves 5
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 medium butternut squash peeled and cubed
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Heavy cream
Pumpkins seeds, toasted
To a slow cooker, add broth, onion, squash, carrots, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix ingredients together. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3-4 hours. After cooking, use a hand blender to puree your soup, or use a blender and in blend the soup in batches until the consistency is velvety smooth. Serve with a swirl of heavy cream and adjust taste if you would like more cinnamon, brown sugar or salt. Serve soup with pumpkin seeds and enjoy!
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need chicken broth, an onion, butternut squash, carrots, canned pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, salt, pepper, heavy cream, and pumpkin seeds.
In your slow cooker, add 3 cups broth, 1 small chopped onion, a medium butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed, 3 carrots peeled and chopped, 1 can pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a few grates of fresh nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Stir to combine, then cover with the lid and cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
After it's cooked, you want to blend it until it is smooth. This is great because the kiddos won't know what's in it! There are a few ways you can do it. You can carefully blend it in a blender in small batches (be careful to not burn yourself, it's hot!). If you have an immersion blender, you can use that. I move all the soup to a big pot to blend since I use a slow cook bag.
Blend until completely smooth. It's a beautiful color, isn't it?
To serve, ladle into bowls, swirl in some heavy cream, then top with toasted pumpkin seeds. Divine!!
Recipe Source: Recipe adapted from a recipe on A Simple Palate