Pumpkin Soup With Ancho and Apple
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
- 1medium onion, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1dried ancho chile, stemmed, seeded and torn in small strips
- 1apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- ½teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½teaspoon cinnamon, preferably Mexican canela
- 3cups plain canned pumpkin (about 1½ cans)
- Salt to taste
- ½teaspoon sugar
- ½cup Mexican crema, or crème fraîche, mascarpone or sour cream
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
153 calories; 10 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 352 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Melt butter in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Add half the pepitas and the onion and cook, stirring, on medium heat, until the onion is golden and the pepitas have started to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the chile pieces, cook a minute or two, then add the apple, black pepper, cinnamon and pumpkin.
- Step 2
Stir in 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the remaining pepitas on medium heat and set aside.
- Step 3
Pureé the soup in a blender. (You will need two shifts.) Return the soup to saucepan and season with salt and the sugar. Serve the soup in warm bowls with a dollop of crema and a sprinkling of toasted pepitas on top.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Marcela Aguilera
I am mexican, then I make a little change with the chile ancho: put 4 chiles in a boiling water, rest them for 10 min. after put them in a blender, if you want a more spicy flavor, blend them with this water, if not, blend with clean water, use water enough, for getting a soft mashed, strain it.
Follow all the directions.
For serving put 1 tbsp in each plate en serve the soup.
Whit the remaining "salsa de chile anche", you can make chilaquiles or scrambled eggs. Enjoy!
Kristen
First, why waste a cup of pumpkin? Used two full cans and used 6 cups chicken broth instead of water. Lots of salt and pepper, plus some apple cider syrup for some pop.
Jessica
These are actually different things, though, and not simply translations into Spanish. Canela is a variety of cinnamon with soft bark (that is most often sold as "canela," not as Mexican cinnamon, so using the more generic name may confuse people looking to buy it). Crema is not cream, but rather a Mexican product that resembles a thinner sour cream; there is no English name for that product other than "crema," which is how it is labeled in American grocery stores.
Abby
I thought the soup had a sour, bland taste. I added a good deal of salt and honey to soften the taste without making it sweet. Chicken broth would have made it more flavorful.
Richard Will
Forewarned by the comments about blandness, I used three ancho chiles, chicken broth, and a 1/2 cup of fresh minced ginger. I also substituted a baked peeled sweet potato for the third cup of pumpkin and made it several hours in advance to let the flavors meld. It was tasty--a little bit of heat and lots of earthy richness.
joanie21
Actually, Mexican crema isn't cream. It's closer to sour cream or French creme fraiche. Thick yogurt may be an acceptable substitute if you like. I've found a recipe for making it, although I can't vouch for its authenticity.
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/homemade-crema-mexican-sour-cream.aspx
Trish-Denver
I roasted a cheese pumpkin and subbed for canned pumpkin. I used 1-1/2 tsp ground ancho chile instead of a whole dried ancho chile. I added 6 tablespoons of pinon nuts--3 T in the soup and 3 T for the garnish. And I subbed honey for the sugar. Heaven!
Bettina F.
If you use an immersion blender, you can blend the whole kit and kabooble at one time-- no shifts.
Carolyn
This is a soup that ripens over 24 hours. Yum.
joanie21
I found this dish to be really bland, despite the use of the ancho chile. I added another apple after pureeing the soup and let it get soft enough to puree again. I also added another dash of sugar, which wasn't noticeable in the recipe. A stock (even vegetable) has to be better than water, too. And I'd probably add cumin as well.
Craig W.
Enjoyed making this soup this past weekend. I used coconut oil instead of butter because I'm lactose intolerant and it was a subtle flavor booster.
Trish-Denver
Canned pumpkin is strained. Try using fresh pumpkin or just add an additional 1/2 cup or so of water.
Juliet Jones
Why does the NYTimes feel the need to use Spanish words when there are English equivalents? "Canela" is just the Spanish for cinnamon. So why not say Mexican cinnamon? (Personally I find cinnamon from Sri Lanka much more flavorful.) Same with "crema". It's Spanish for cream. (Wondering why the recipe didn't call for 1/2 teaspoon "azucar".)
Jen A
I enjoyed this! For us lazy, don't-get-to-the-store types, I used a pinch of red pepper flakes in place of the Ancho, and it worked beautifully.
KIrsten
I had only Vietnamese cinnamon in my cupboard, and it seemed a bit too strong for the delicTe pimpkin flavor. Also, I had ancho powder, not dried fruits. The combo of the ancho and cinnamon is intriguing. Fire-y spice
characters mellowed out overnight. Very tasty and warm!
Maureen
Love this recipe as is, or fully vegan, or not at all. I’ve made it so many times, and after the first go never the same way twice. Had some homemade applesauce, subbed for the apple. Feeling mostly savory tonight so added some chopped up ends of country ham with the onion, chicken broth to thin it up a bit, and a big handful of baby kale. Fabulous.
polish dill
I’m shocked the reviews are so mixed for this one, but I did adjust a bit based on feedback. I subbed a chipotle in adobo for the ancho and used chicken broth instead of water. I used a second apple and no sugar. My partner called it ‘one of my 5 best soups ever’.
Mary W.
I found it a little too bland. This could be in part due to the fact that I used a freshly roasted pumpkin, as opposed to canned pumpkin. However, if I make this again, I would definitely try substituting at least 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth for the 4 cups of water. Also, I added at least a teaspoon of ancho powder to the mixture, along with the black pepper, cinnamon, etc. Finally, have at least a cup of sour cream or Mexican crema on hand if you want a “soup for dinner” meal.
kevin
Make with a tiny bit of fresh ginger. More Pepitas. Chicken broth
Allie
BLAND. Adjusted to taste good with garlic powder, cumin, more cinnamon, more ancho chile powder, and lime juice, but would absolutely not make again.
Lauren C
Yummy and easy enough to cook but not sure I will be making this a second time.
Gourmandesse
We also found this bitter and unappealing. After reading the reviews, we added honey, broth and another apple. That helped but the recipe still didn’t win us over. We haven’t given up and will try some more additions to see if we can’t make it work.
Neva
I’m not sure why some found this bland and sour. I thought it had plenty of flavor however I did use fresh pumpkin. I made this with ancho chili powder (I’m in Australia so a whole chili is not readily available), increased the amount of cinnamon and used vegetable stock instead of water. Blitzed it with a hand held mixer and it turned out great. Crème freche and toasted pepitas on top really elevated the dish too.
Daria
I made some adjustments based on what I had on hand and flavors I like. I roasted the pumpkin in olive oil, harissa spice, and cinnamon. I added a shallot, some carrot, and celery and used leftover vegetable stock for the liquid. I opted for coriander, chipotle powder, ginger powder, and red chili flake. Blended everything in the Vitamix and served with toasted pepitas and a dollop of tzatziki. Delicious! The sweetness from the carrot and apple makes a big impact.
GZ
Listened to prior reviews before cooking - softened 4 anchos in hot water and then puréed and added. Used chicken stock - ended up needing about 5 cups plus the hot water from the anchos for appropriate consistency. Final results was a deep earthy, slightly Smokey flavor. Certainly not overpowering or spicy.
Nadia
This was so good! I would probably just use all of the pumpkin not to waste it, and I also added a little bit of honey. In lieu of the honey I could have probably just used a bigger or sweeter type of apple. I did a drizzle of pumpkin oil on top to serve.
Margot
I also chopped up a second apple and added that to the soup with the pepitas when I served it.
Margot
I used chicken broth to balance out the flavors and reduce the bitterness that pumpkin sometimes has.
Jennie
My family liked this soup a lot; I found it underwhelming, and I made it with homemade turkey stock. Unfortunately, I couldn't find ancho chile, so used a dried, deseeded chipotle, which may have significantly affected the flavor profile. But it was certainly pleasant. Just not all that I had hoped for. And easy enough.
Barry C.
Great soup. I have used the comments of fellow cooks to modify the recipe as follows: 1) used two cans of pumpkin, 2) soaked 4 Ancho chilis, seeded, torn in boiling water for 15 minutes, 3) used 4 cups of weak chicken broth (not to over power) and 3 cups of chili water; and 4) after blended add about 2 ounces of apple cider vinegar. At serving can add juice from half lemon. The recipe was great once the acid help focus the flavors.
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