To cut down on the prep time I chose to chop up the squash & pumpkin in large pieces & steam/boil until tender (approx. 15 mins). run under cold water until the pieces can be handled - scoop flesh out as instructed in step 4. (I also find that roasting veg rather than steaming gives the soup an odd after taste so I avoid it whenever possible.) I didn't have any celery but the soup tasted fine without it and I added 1/2 cup rather than 1/4 cup of orange juice to mellow the taste a bit. The end result was lovely & this recipe will definately be used again - a great autumn/winter soup!
Our family loved this soup. I used canned pumpkin instead of fresh--about 3/4 of a can and 5 cups of vegetable broth instead of the cubes and water. It was full of flavor and great with fresh bread. Yum!
Very healthy and tasty soup! And I even had to make a number of substitions because I didn't have all the ingredients. It makes a lot and freezes well.
This soup is unusually good. I used 2 cups canned pumpkin in place of fresh; 1 cup half and half cream in place of evaporated milk; 1 cup fresh apple cider in place of orange juice. Also used chicken bouillon as it added more flavor than the vegetable bouillon. Don't know why the other reviewer said it was chunky--using the food processor in the final steps made it very creamy and smooth. Make it a day ahead so flavors can blend nicely.
Thanks OLENAJOY for the A vitamin A recipe! It is very delicious and smelled so good cooking. It was quite satisfactory before pureeing (almost beef stewish) and without the milk and oj. I used canned pumpkin (the whole can) rather than fresh. I used salt-free boullion and added a tsp of salt; instead of adding more salt I tried Chipotle Tabasco in my bowl and it added an other dimension to the soup. By the way my soup was orange-brown not neon yellow like other pictures.
I followed this recipe completely except for including the celery and it was very poorly recieved by myself and family. It is VERY mild in flavor. I thought that it would be more robust... If you are looking for something good and simple this is not the recipe for you. Try some gourd soup somewhere before committing 2-3 hrs of cooking into something that you may not like. If you are looking for something different to expirement with- this is just the recipe for you!
Must admit I was a little skeptical about soup with these spices in it but it is awesome! Not at all sweet tasting. Very filling.
This recipe is a winner. I made it exactly as directed and it was enjoyed by everyone who tried it. The spices are not strong but add a pleasing flavour and the combination of vegetables is healthy and tasty. I served it with Nutty Rosemary bread from this site.
