Moroccan Pumpkin Soup

8 servings

60 minutes

Moroccan pumpkin soup is a fragrant and warming dish that embodies the richness of Eastern spices and the tenderness of pumpkin. Its roots trace back to Moroccan culinary traditions where spices play a key role in flavor enhancement. Roasted vegetables gain caramel sweetness, while the addition of cream and broth creates a velvety texture. A blend of spices including cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, and nutmeg fills the soup with depth of flavor, creating harmony between sweetness and spiciness. When served, it is garnished with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and fresh mint, adding lightness and elegance to the dish. This soup is not only nourishing but also evokes memories of warm evenings in the narrow streets of Marrakech infused with the aromas of spices and hot sun.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 219.1
• Proteins: 3.6g
• Fats: 18.5g
• Carbohydrates: 11.9g

Ingredients

• Pumpkin: 600 g
• Garlic: 1 head
• Red sweet pepper: 1 pc
• Cream 20%: 500 ml
• Olive oil: 45 ml
• Vegetable broth: 1 l
• Cinnamon: to taste
• Ground black pepper: to taste
• Nutmeg: to taste
• Fennel seeds: to taste
• Ground cardamom: to taste
• Ground ginger: to taste
• Cumin (zira): to taste
• Ground chili pepper: to taste
• Salt: to taste
• Pistachios: to taste
• Pomegranate seeds: to taste
• Fresh mint: to taste

Cooking steps

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into 3x3 cm cubes.

   Required ingredients:

   • Pumpkin: 600 g

2. Do not peel the garlic head, but separate it into cloves.

   Required ingredients:

   • Garlic: 1 head

3. Remove seeds from the pepper and divide it into 5 parts.

   Required ingredients:

   • Red sweet pepper: 1 piece

4. Grease the baking tray with olive oil, add the vegetables, and mix with the oil.

   Required ingredients:

   • Olive oil: 45 ml

5. Bake the vegetables for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees until they are soft.

6. 10 minutes before readiness, sprinkle the vegetables with a spice mix: cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, fennel, cardamom, ginger, cumin, and a little hot red pepper.

   Required ingredients:

   • Cinnamon:  to taste
   • Ground black pepper:  to taste
   • Nutmeg:  to taste
   • Fennel seeds:  to taste
   • Ground cardamom:  to taste
   • Ground ginger:  to taste
   • Cumin (zira):  to taste
   • Ground chili pepper:  to taste

7. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a pot, peeling the garlic. Pour in the broth and cream.

   Required ingredients:

   • Garlic: 1 head
   • Vegetable broth: 1 l
   • Cream 20%: 500 ml

8. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.

9. Blend the ready soup with an immersion blender until finely chopped. When serving, the soup can be garnished with pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and mint leaves.

   Required ingredients:

   • Pomegranate seeds:  to taste
   • Pistachios:  to taste
   • Fresh mint:  to taste