Thanksgiving Pumpkin Bake Soup Recipe

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Bake Soup Recipe

Cedric Bell

I know, everyone hates the preambles for recipes that take up five pages, so I’ll keep this one brief. Thanksgiving is here, and with it comes the expectation of having way too much food, which is usually turkey, stuffing, and potatoes. While these things are good, it can feel like the food for thanksgiving is kind of set in stone. For some this might be a problem, either because of personal restrictions or preferences keeping them away from those foods. With that, here is an alternative to the expected turkey dinner that is just as festive and delicious. 

Soup in a Pumpkin

Pumpkin soup is already pretty well known, but a less well known and more fun option is soup in a pumpkin. In this recipe, the soup is cooked and served from the inside of the pumpkin, and has a lot of different choices for what to put inside based on personal tastes.

What you’ll need:

  • One medium/large Pumpkin

  • 8 Cups of Broth, Chicken or vegetable

  • ½  lb of choice protein (Turkey, Chicken, Meat Substitute)

  • ¾ Cup of Bread Crumbs

  • ¼ Cup of Butter

  • 1 Onion, chopped

  • ¼ Cup Chopped Carrots

  • ½ Cup of Flour

  • ½ Cup of Corn

  • ½ Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

  • ½  Cup Cooked Bacon Bits

  • 1 Tsp Salt, Pepper, Spices (Rosemary, Basil, etc.)

How to make it: 

  1. Before starting, cook whatever Protein you are using, so that it is pre cooked as an ingredient. 

  2. Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin, facing inwards so that the cut is angled. When removed, it should be able to sit on top without falling in, like a lid. Remove most of the insides. Use some of the butter to coat the inside.

  3. Preheat the oven to 400.

  4. Melt remaining butter in a pan, and use it to cook onions and carrots until soft.

  5. Add bread crumbs, flour and stir, cooking for 3 minutes.

  6. Place these in the pumpkin, then add the corn, cheese, bacon bits, soup stock, meat or substitute, and spices into the pumpkin as well, mixing them.

  7. Put the top on the pumpkin and bake it on a cookie sheet for 1hr 30mins.

  8. Remove from the oven.

  9. Scrape sides of pumpkin so that it is added to the soup, just be careful not to break the side.

  10. Enjoy!

While some of these ingredients can be costly, they can be swapped out for other cheaper ones. One idea would also be to divide up who buys what among whoever you’re spending thanksgiving with, as this recipe should serve about 4 people. This recipe provides a healthy alternative to the usual thanksgiving feast, and is a creative way to mix things up.