Pumpkin and Rice Soup
Silky textured and vibrant, the pumpkin soup I made as soon after 40 hours of travel back from India. It has a herby rosemary butter drizzle and lemon ginger pulp, and completely hits the spot.

Pumpkin and Rice Soup
For this soup I started with a 2 kg / 4 1/2 pound squash, and used about half of it.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 1/2 serrano chile, seeds and all, chopped
- fine grain sea salt
- 1 1/2 pounds pumpkin/squash flesh, seeded, peeled, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger juice, pressed from grated ginger
- cooked brown rice, warm
- toasted pumpkin seeds
- other toppings: plain yogurt, toasted pepitas, lemon ginger rosemary butter* (and pulp)
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In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, shallot, and serrano and a couple big pinches of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then add the pumpkin and 6 cups of water (or less if you like a thicker soup), I make this one on the slightly thin side.
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Bring just to a simmer and cook until squash is completely tender throughout, about 15 minutes. Note that the time it takes will differ between different squash/pumpkin varietals. Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender until smooth, and add the ginger juice. If you like an even thinner soup, add a bit more water at this point, then stir in more salt to taste, about 2 teaspoons.
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Serve over a big scoop of brown rice with lots of toasted pumpkin seeds (or pepitas), a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of lemon ginger rosemary butter (and pulp).
Serves 4-6.
*Lemon Ginger Rosemary Butter: Melt 1/4 cup / 2 oz unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, long enough to let the butter start to brown a bit. Remove from heat and immediately stir in leaves from a 4-inch sprig of rosemary, zest of one lemon, I teaspoon grated ginger, and a good pinch of salt. Stir well and let sit for 5 minutes or so. Strain the butter, and reserve the pulp to serve separately.
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What an amazing keepsake! Can't wait to see more from your trip.
Sister of mine just went to the Larder to get books & meet Aran for me, she shared how much it reminded her of our time with you in Seattle! ( I'm the groupie remember) anyway, memories & pumpkin what more could I ask for!
Wish I could have been there as well!
The soup looks beautiful...and I'm sure it tastes delicious too.....and I love your vintage-ish shots....developing the photos right on the street! how cool is that! also can't wait to read more about your trip to 'India'! I'm sure your trip pictures would make me nostalgic!
Thank you SO MUCH for all the info about the street photography! Totally blew me away and the photos are really really special.
Lovely story and I love the parallels of resourcefulness in your recipe after a long trip! My cousin and I backpacked around Rajasthan in 2003 and had such a terrific time. We'd read about a popular lassi shop in our lonely planet in jaipur and went in search of it. In the year since our edition of the lp came out, other lassiwallahs must have got wind of the mention and decided to put up shop right next to the original one! Being confronted with some 5 lassi shops, we ended up buying something at the 3 that looked the oldest. Dinner that evening was a 3 course lassi extravaganza - plain lassi followed by salty lassi with a sweet mango lassi finale! Perhaps it was the same with the camera guy?
Lovely photos. Beautiful story-telling. And I can't wait to try the soup.
Wow, the photography is so cool! I am very inspired by this post.
Simple, quick, nourishing and delicious! I, too, have found that sometimes having limited ingredient options fosters a unique brand of creativity.
That lemon-ginger-rosemary butter is going on pancakes immediately (as soon as someone wakes up). If I re-chill it, think it would work for cookies, or does the melting mess up the chemistry? Glad to have you back -- can't wait for more trip notes and recipes!
Hi, you probably already know this, but Martha Rose Schulman of NYTimes gave you a shout out and posted one of your recipes. So exciting to see my favorite recipe authors together on the internet!
I think I am now officially obsessed with Tikam Chand. I love that he processes the images right there on the street! What an incredible experience!
The photos are incredible, utterly amazing. I would treasure such lovely photos. And the recipe looks fab too. I think I walked past you in Japantown this week, on Thursday? I was outside the book shop and so nearly said hi but suddenly got all girl-crushy shy! If it WAS you, that black cape is fantastic! HS: It was! And thank you :) I got the sweater at Bloomingdales....and they definitely still have them (I think I might need to buy a back up for when this one wears out!)....And next time you've got to say hello!
Soup sounds wonderful! I think I'd leave out the chile though -- but lemon ginger rosemary butter is a fabulous idea ... and can be used for other things as well.
Wow, so amazing. Was the "darkroom" at the back of the camera containing his "homemade fluid mixture"most likely developer & then he boldly fixed in the outdoors? I'm super curious about this process & would love to try to get my photo students to try such non-technical, hands-on processes in this hyper technical, digital age. Seriously inspiring & thank you for sharing! Oh & the gorgeous soup too!
HS: Yes! I know, incredibly inspiring. The other thing I didn't mention is that he seemed to have some sort of light-safe gloves that he used to develop in the back of the camera...garden gloves of some sort?
Wow, so amazing. Was the "darkroom" at the back of the camera containing his "homemade fluid mixture"most likely developer & then he boldly fixed in the outdoors? I'm super curious about this process & would love to try to get my photo students to try such non-technical, hands-on processes in this hyper technical, digital age. Seriously inspiring & thank you for sharing! Oh & the gorgeous soup too!
HS: Yes! I know, incredibly inspiring. The other thing I didn't mention is that he seemed to have some sort of light-safe gloves that he used to develop in the back of the camera...garden gloves of some sort?
Funny, not that Austin is as far as India, but my post tomorrow was born of the same "arrive home, cupboard is bare" scenario. Isn't India amazing, especially as a vegetarian? I loved that feeling of having the run of the entire menu at most restaurants, and not in any way being considered an oddball. I've only been for 2 weeks but am looking for any excuse to go back.
HS: I'm loving being back in my own kitchen. That said, the food on our trip was SO good and interesting. Especially in the country side - definitely enjoyed a long list of preparations I'd never even imagined. Hope you're well Michael.
Oh Heidi, this sounds divine! It might be just the thing for me to whip up ahead of Hurricane Sandy's arrival today. Thank you. Your story about these photos in Jaipur takes me back to so many of my own quirky and beloved encounters abroad. Thank you for sharing.
I've been looking for new rice recipes, and this one seems pretty versatile. Also, those portrait photographs you got are beautiful! I love film photography.
I am so glad you are back safe and sound!!! Photos are amazing and i have just been given a veritable Ton of squashes so ... here we go!! Thank you.
Beautiful, as always!