PUMPKIN SOUP
Sometimes vegetables are so starchy on their own that no
additional thickener or emulsifying agent is needed to create
a creamy, ultrasmooth pureed soup. Sweet sugar pumpkin
and squash are ideal candidates.
You could make a pumpkin soup just like the creamy
broccoli soup here by simmering the cubed pumpkins in
broth and pureeing the lot, but much, much tastier is to roast
the pumpkin first. There’s more than meets the eye to the
process of roasting starchy vegetables like pumpkin (or, say,
sweet potato)—it’s not just about softening.
First off, roasting drives off some moisture, concentrating
flavor. Second, there are enzymes naturally present in
pumpkins, other squashes, and sweet potatoes that will aid
in the conversion of starches to sugars, intensifying their