Roasted Pumpkin, Pancetta and Sage Soup

A thick and hearty roast pumpkin soup with pancetta, sage, white beans and smoked turkey that is just packed with flavour!



Pumpkins are in season right now and although a lot of varieties of winter squash are available all winter, pumpkins usually disappear quickly after Halloween so I have been wanting to do more with them while they are here. In fact I have several pie pumpkins sitting on my counter just waiting to be used and I figured that it was a perfect time to do so. With the cooling weather I was thinking that a pumpkin soup would hit the spot.

I served this savoury roasted pumpkin and pancetta soup with sage and smoked turkey garnished with crumbled crispy fried pancetta, crispy fried sage and toasted pepitas. While I was thinking about ideas for pumpkin soup recipes one Idea that I had was a simple sweet pumpkin and tangy gorgonzola soup and since pumpkin and blue cheese go so well together I incorporated that idea into this soup by serving it with some gorgonzola garlic bread!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 pound pancetta, diced
  • 1 cup onion (diced)
  • 1/2 cup carrot (diced)
  • 1/2 cup celery (diced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 smoked turkey leg
  • 1 tablespoon sage, thinly sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup sliced pancetta, cooked and crumbled
  • 8 sage leaves, sauteed in butter until crispy
  • 1/4 cup pepitas, toasted


Directions


  1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the pancetta and cook until just before it starts to get crispy, about 7-10 minutes and set it aside.
  3. Add the onion, celery and carrot and saute until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
  5. Puree a quarter of the beans in a food processor with some of the chicken broth.
  6. Add the beans, broth, pumpkin puree, pancetta, smoked turkey leg, sage and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
  7. Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
  8. Remove the turkey leg, shred the meat and mix it back into the soup.
  9. Serve garnished with crispy fried pancetta, sage leaves and pepitas.