The pumpkin and chickpea soup is a very tasty first course, perfect for the autumn/winter season, warming us on these very cold days. It’s an ideal dish for lunch or dinner, although I prefer enjoying soups in the evening, they’re light yet flavorful. You can enhance this pumpkin soup with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and croutons, or by adding crispy speck sautéed in a pan or pancetta also sautéed. If you like soups, you might also try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for the Pumpkin and Chickpea Soup
- 1.1 lbs Kabocha pumpkin
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 8.5 oz canned chickpeas (drained)
- 1 red onion
- 2.1 cups vegetable broth
- to taste black pepper
- to taste grated Parmesan cheese (or grated Pecorino Romano)
Tools
- Pot
- Knives
- Chopping board
- Immersion blender
Steps to Make the Pumpkin and Chickpea Soup
To prepare the pumpkin and chickpea soup, first clean the pumpkin well, removing the skin, seeds, and inner fibers. If found in supermarkets, you can also use pre-cut pieces. Wash the pumpkin well and cut it into not too large pieces. Drain the canned chickpeas and rinse them under running water. Finely chop 1 red onion and put it in a large pot with some extra virgin olive oil. Let it sauté and then add the pumpkin pieces, letting them season for a couple of minutes by adding a dash of black pepper and the rosemary needles.
Now add the chickpeas, then pour over the vegetable broth and let everything cook over medium/low heat for about 30 minutes. When the pumpkin is tender, use the immersion blender to blend your soup off the heat. Finally, you can add, away from the heat, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese and stir with a wooden spoon.
Serve it with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil and bread croutons.
Storage and Tips
You can store the pumpkin soup in the refrigerator for 2 days in an airtight container.
If you want to add a crunchy note besides the bread croutons, you can prepare sliced or thin strips of speck and sauté them in a pan, adding them to the dish at the end.
