Creamy pumpkin soup with toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries

Sweet and salty and sour and earthy

Apr 10, 2025

∙ Paid

I used to dislike soups. I considered them a cure for the flu or the antidote to the common cold and I mostly reserved them for when they were truly needed, like when my tummy felt funny. I think everything changed when I moved from Greece to the Netherlands where the winters are far colder and the need for warming soups is far greater. Now I can’t get enough of them.

I hadn’t had soup in a while and I had missed it. I longed for the arrival of chilly autumn days and guess what? They’re here with a vengeance, and a hot, hearty soup is all I have on my mind when it comes to supper.

Pumpkin soup was never in my repertoire until recently. It has become a staple and with good reason; its amazing flavor and color. I’m such a visual person that I can’t help but being drawn to that incredibly vibrant orange hue.

It makes me happy to look at this soup, to photograph it, to savor it. And then comes the real treat, its texture, that is smooth, creamy and velvety with minuscule grains of vegetables lingering on my tongue, slowly dissolving inside my mouth.

The garnishes on top are not for show, they’re not added to make the soup look more attractive, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but they give flavor and texture. An acidic, sour note from the dried cranberries, crunch and extra pumpkin flavor from the pumpkin seeds, freshness and grassiness from the parsley, and the hint of nutmeg that's hidden inside the soup brings it all together without being overpowering.

As each flavor bursts in my mouth, I realize that what I’m savoring has character, substance. It is sweet and salty and sour and earthy, and then, with the next mouthful, the ride starts again and I never want it to end.

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