Sultry Pumpkin Soup – Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill

Sultry Pumpkin Soup - Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill  Pumpkin, Ancho Chile, Pear Tortilla Strips, Pumpkin Seeds, Chile de Arbol Flakes, Candied Orange Zest Cinnamon Crema, Chile Oil

Sultry Pumpkin Soup – Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill

Pumpkin, Ancho Chile, Pear
Tortilla Strips, Pumpkin Seeds, Chile de Arbol Flakes, Candied Orange Zest
Cinnamon Crema, Chile Oil

The ancho chile’s complex raisin-like taste complements the pumpkin. Black pepper and cinnamon coax out its deeper flavors. Homemade smoky chile-de-arbol flakes and fiery chile oil add some heat to the relatively mild ancho. Ripe pear and maple syrup bring natural sweetness while orange adds a certain brightness. Tortilla strips add crunch and pumpkin seeds bring an earthy nuttiness. It’s all rounded out by spiced Mexican crema. One just might have a burning desire to try this sultry pumpkin soup with its bold Southwest flavors and adventurous garnishes.

Sultry Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Sultry Pumpkin Soup - Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill  Pumpkin, Ancho Chile, Pear Tortilla Strips, Pumpkin Seeds, Chile de Arbol Flakes, Candied Orange Zest Cinnamon Crema, Chile Oil
Sultry Pumpkin, Ancho Chile, Pear Soup RecipePumpkin & Ancho Soup

  • 2 T. butter
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 ancho chiles, de-seeded, torn into small pieces
  • 1 ripe pear, diced
  • 2 cans pumpkin puree
  • 1 qt. water
  • 1/2 t. cinnamon, ground
  • 1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 c. orange juice
  • salt to taste
  • maple syrup to taste

In a soup pot, cook onion in butter until golden. Add ancho chiles and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pear, cook another 2 minutes. Add pumpkin, water, cinnamon and pepper. Stir to combine. Add bay leaves. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and allow soup to cool somewhat. Blend to a smooth consistency in a blender in two batches, adding a half cup of orange juice to each batch. Add some water if the soup is too thick. As always, take care when blending hot liquids. Season with salt and maple syrup to taste. Return the soup to a clean pot.

Sultry Pumpkin Soup - Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill  Pumpkin, Ancho Chile, Pear Tortilla Strips, Pumpkin Seeds, Chile de Arbol Flakes, Candied Orange Zest Cinnamon Crema, Chile Oil

Garnish:

  • tortilla strips
  • pumpkin seeds, roasted and salted
  • chile de arbol flakes
  • candied orange zest
  • cinnamon crema
  • chile oil

Slice fresh corn tortillas into thin strips. Fry in canola oil until crisp and golden. Transfer to paper towel. Season with salt.

Break the chiles de arbol in half and shake out the seeds. Fry in a small amount of canola oil until the chiles turn color. Remove the chiles to a paper towel. Chop the chiles into flakes. Reserve the oil to season the soup. Add a pinch of smoked paprika to give it a deeper red color.

Boil thin strips of orange zest in simple syrup for 10 minutes. Remove to paper towel.

Mix Mexican crema with a dash of ground cinnamon. Place in a squeeze bottle in order to make crema dots.

Sultry Pumpkin Soup - Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill  Pumpkin, Ancho Chile, Pear Tortilla Strips, Pumpkin Seeds, Chile de Arbol Flakes, Candied Orange Zest Cinnamon Crema, Chile Oil

Composition:

Reheat the soup. Ladle into warm bowls. Place dots of cinnamon crema around the perimeter. Stack tortilla strips in the middle of the soup. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and chile de arbol flakes. Use a skewer or any pointy tool to spread the crema in a pattern. Add drops of chile oil. Use a tweezers to top with candied orange zest (it’s sticky).

Sultry Pumpkin Soup - Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill  Pumpkin, Ancho Chile, Pear Tortilla Strips, Pumpkin Seeds, Chile de Arbol Flakes, Candied Orange Zest Cinnamon Crema, Chile Oil

Credits:

Ancho Chiles from my friends at Marx Foods.

The idea to make Pumpkin Soup with Ancho Chile from Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill.

The idea to flavor Mexican Crema with Cinnamon from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill.

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#FallFest is a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with bloggers to share recipes about everyone’s favorite autumn dishes. You might enjoy taking a peek at other PUMPKIN recipes from some fabulous bloggers below… and be sure to follow our very popular Pinterest Board with over 325,000 followers called Let’s Pull Up A Chair!

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Craving More Pumpkin Soup?

SOUP BLISS  Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Apple Soup Dried Apricot, Cherries, and Raisins Pine Nuts, Chile de Arbol, Creme Fraiche, Chive Blossoms

SOUP BLISS

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Apple Soup
Dried Apricot, Cherries, and Raisins
Pine Nuts, Chile de Arbol, Creme Fraiche, Chive Blossoms

(recipe here)

19 thoughts on “Sultry Pumpkin Soup – Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill”

  1. i have made your pumpkin apple soup so many times, i have lost count. when i am alone and attacking the leftovers, i might have ran my finger on the sides of the bowl to get at the last drops… at least, that’s the rumour. i believe it is time for me to switch partners and take a dance with this pumpkin pear share. yum yum yum 🙂

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