swhitneyOk, so you really want to go all out and make a fabulous center piece for your Halloween party. Or you are going to a potluck Halloween party, you want to make a strong impression, and you would like to bring a gift and/or contribution? How about making some pumpkin soup out of the real pumpkin pulp and displaying it / serve it in the pumpkin from which the pulp came.
Now I know for some, this sounds very ambitious. However, it really is not that hard when you think about it.
For this very fine possible gift for a party host will be very well received and everyone will surely be impressed.
First, you will require 2 pumpkins – 1 for removing and using the pulp and the second pumpkin for the display or container for the soup center piece or in essence, the soup tureen.
Sponsored Ad1. Making Pumpkin Soup
Cut or slice the first pumpkin into small enough sections so that you can cut out the pulp to make the soup. So, this pumpkin will be solely for providing the fabulous pumpkin flavor for the pumpkin soup. Be sure to save the seeds as you can roast them and serve them on the side as a snack.
I do not have an exact pumpkin soup recipe but, as someone who makes a lot of soup, I often just wing it. As a starter, you will have to break down the pumpkin pulp. Put it into a large pot and simmer probably for an hour or so…until it breaks down. You should mash it or blend it…or you can wait until the end of the cooking and blend it all at that time.
For even more flavor, you could roast the pumpkin pulp. On a roasting pan, cut the pumpkin into equal sized cubes amd drizzle with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until soft and slightly browned.
Now you have the fab flavor for your soup. You will then add some chicken or vegetable stock, and some spices.
Sponsored AdTo make your own vegetable stock is quite easy. Start with a mix of chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute them for about 5 minutes in a bit of oil. Once they have softened, you can add some water and scrape the bottom of the pot for the great flavor it contains. This can be your stock for the soup. If this is not enough flavor for you, you can add to this mixture some chicken or vegetable liquid or powdered stock.
Popular spices for a pumpkin soup could include allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, saffron, a small dose of cayenne for a bit of heat, and of course, ginger. Other spices that could be used may be cumin, thyme and a necessity for pretty much everything I cook, pepper. For this soup, I would use white pepper instead of black just for the look.
If you are looking for a unique twist to this classic pumpkin soup, you could add some orange flavor. If you would like a little more depth of flavor to the pumpkin soup, some orange zest added to the stock and pumpkin. It will add a small level of sweetness to the pumpkin, adding to the complexity of flavor.
2. Preparing the Pumpkin for Serving and Display
Before you go ahead and cut out the top of the pumpkin, you should find a bowl which will fit into the top of the pumpkin. Finding the right bowl could be the most challenging part of this d-i-y pumpkin soup tureen project.
You preferably want a glass or heat resistant bowl. And a bowl with a lip will be useful. Or, you may have a bowl which is as deep as the pumpkin itself. Ultimately, you want a bowl which will hold the heat and a bowl which has a lip so that it will sit on top of the head of the pumpkin. The bowl top must be smaller than the diameter of the pumpkin.
Once you have your bowl chosen, put the bowl on top of the pumpkin to make your mark where to cut out the top. Be sure to make the cut smaller than the bowl outer lip so that the lip will be able to sit on top of the pumpkin.
Sponsored AdOnce you have the topper cut out, do the standard clean out of the pumpkin seeds and strings. You can now make a fun Jack-O-Lantern face on your pumpkin. If you do this and your bowl fits properly, you can use a battery operated tea light candle in the bottom of the jack o lantern with your soup in the bowl at the top.
If you are pressed for time – seeing that you spent some time making some wonderful pumpkin soup – you don’t need to cut out a jack-o-lantern face on your pumpkin. You can simply decorate the outside of the pumpkin with some plastic spiders, or any other cheap Halloween decorations.
Another idea would be to add some bread to the outside of the pumpkin. Slice your bread or baguette, poke some holes in the pumpkin and using wooden skewers, attach the bread to the skewer and put into the holes in the pumpkin. This will be a cute display of your soup and bread all in one! And if you really want to get into the Halloween spirit, you could use some black food coloring and make the baguette slices into little ghost faces. Two dots for the eyes and a little swirl for the mouth…that would be adorable!
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The effect of the Jack-O-Lantern or pumpkin soup tureen will be duly noticed. Whether you are having the Halloween party at your home or you are going to someone else’s party, just heat up your soup, put it in the bowl and pop it into the pumpkin…and serve.
I guarantee you that if you show up at your Halloween dinner party with this pumpkin soup and Jack-O-Lantern soup tureen gift, everyone will be truly impressed…and as a bonus, I bet the soup will taste even better than it would out of a simple soup bowl.
Or if you have found that this do-it-yourself Halloween gift is just too much effort, you can go ahead and buy a Halloween gift to bring with you to your friend’s Halloween party. Most online gift companies will ship the gift directly to your home so you can simply bring it with you on Halloween costume party night.
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