Okay, so it’s not fall anymore. But the weather sure feels like it! And who says that pumpkin dishes can only be eaten in the fall, anyway? Certainly not me – I love pumpkin any time of the year!
This Pumpkin Patch Soup from Gooseberry Patch’s “101 Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Recipes” is just that – super-easy, and super tasty!
“101 Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Recipes” has just exactly what it says – a whole bunch of really easy recipes for your slow cooker!
Pumpkin Patch Soup
For this soup, I used pumpkin that we grew in our garden last year. Farmer Doc and I processed it and stashed it in the freezer so we would have “fresh” pumpkin to use all year long. I asked him to bring me up 2 bags of pumpkin and a package of bacon out of the basement freezer.
He said, “Those two things don’t go together!”
“Trust me,” I said. (After all, I am a doctor.)
Turns out, crispy bacon is the perfect garnish for Pumpkin Patch Soup. I didn’t have any pumpkin seeds on hand, so I used sunflower seeds instead. Perfectly tasty. Though when I make this soup in the fall, I’ll be using pumpkin seeds (probably with the sunflower seeds)!
I’m always looking for ways to cook and store the veggies we grow from our garden. Last fall, I made up a bunch of butternut squash soup to keep in the freezer for a rainy day. This soup is so easy, that I won’t bother making it up ahead of time – all you need to do is thaw the pumpkin (or open the can), toss everything in the slow-cooker, and you’re ready to go!
Slow-Cooker Pumpkin Patch Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 29- oz cans pumpkin
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
Instructions
- Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds to oil, cook and stir until seeds begin to pop (about 1 minute). Remove seeds to a bowl and set aside.
- Add bacon to skillet and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel to drain; crumble and refrigerate.
- Add onion to drippings in pan. Saute onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings.
- Spoon onion mixture into a slow cooker. Whisk pumpkin, broth, and cider into onion mixture.
- Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
- Whisk in cream before serving.
- Top servings with pumpkin seeds and crumbled bacon.
{Gooseberry Patch provided me with a copy of “101 Super-Easy Slow-Cooker Recipes” to review and a copy to give away. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Affiliate links were used in this post.}
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