Roast Pumpkin and Ham Soup

Winter is upon us and so is the appetite for hearty, flavourful soups. Roast pumpkin and ham soup is a regular menu item in my household. I have served this recipe numerous times and trust me you are in for a wonderful flavour surprise!

Create your taste

Great meals are the ones you create using a myriad of tasty combinations and cooking methods. Pulling nutrients and flavour from your ingredients. This pumpkin soup recipe will not disappoint. If I’m honest sometimes I get to the end of a bowl of pumpkin soup and think hmmm that was a lot of pumpkin. Pumpkin soup is sometimes a bit safe. I want to challenge you with this recipe. Address the flavour combinations in your soup. Think about how you can add earthy, salty, sweet and hearty tones. Layering with texture of nuts or seeds and delicious shredded ham.

The Nutrient Density Myth

Ok so I want to address a few myths here. When we are talking about nutrient dense foods low fat yoghurt packed with sneaky sugar or skim milk are not nutrient dense. Low in calories yes, nutrient dense, no! So much of what we are told about nutrition is based on the myth that fat and calories are what we should be avoiding. We need healthy fats. Food is should be about nutrients not about caloric intake. Much of the low fat low calorie foods are altered to remove sugar and

Check out more nutrient dense recipes on my blog!

In recent years the idea of nutrient density can be confused with the contents of a completely green salad bowl. Green in concept are healthy for you however without the correct pairing of healthy fats. Research tells us that many nutrients are fat soluble and therefore require naturally occurring fats to break down and become bioavailable to our bodies. In simple terms it is no good to us that the nutrients are there if we are unable to break down and absorb those same nutrients. Many recommendations for healthy eating talk about counting calories or restricting food groups. In some cases restriction of certain foods can be beneficial or necessary. However, in general sticking to the natural form of the food and cooking it in other whole or natural foods will greatly increase both nutrient density and overall health of these foods. Learn more healthy eating tips here.

What makes this ROAST PUMPKIN AND HAM SOUP special?

Let me tell you a little secret….sometimes taking the slow root is the better way to go! This pumpkin soup recipe gets you to create your stock from scratch and roast your pumpkin to pull out beautiful rich flavours. The addition of leek, parsnip, and carrots to the more traditional onions and potato enriches the earthy tones. Smoky paprika and cinnamon add unique and bold flavours. Adding in the crunchy pepitas and dash with the tang of sour cream. I hope this soup will bring a smile to your face and warm contentment to your bellies! I know this soup is a hit with my family!

ROAST PUMPKIN AND HAM SOup Recipe

ROAST PUMPKIN AND HAM SOUP – Equipment

• Baking tray
• Slow cooker or stock pot
• Stick Blender
• Fry pan
• Cutting Board and Knife

ROAST PUMPKIN AND HAM SOUP – INgredients

• 1.5 – 2 kg picnic ham leg – bone in
• 3/4 kent or 1 whole butternut pumpkin (sweeter flavour)
• 2 leek
• 2 parsnip
• 4 small or 3 large carrots
• 4 small potatoes
• 2 onions
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup your choice of cream or milk
• Pepita seeds and optional sour cream to serve.
• Optional 100g crispy bacon cut into pieces
• Olive Oil

Roast Pumpkin and Ham Soup – INstructions

1. Roughly chop leek, onions, parsnip, and carrots. Add whole ham leg with chopped vegetables to a stock pot or slow cooker. Top with water, bay leaves, garlic, salt and chilli flakes
2. Allow pot to come to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 1 hour 45 min or until the meat falls easily off the bone.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line baking tray and drizzle pumpkin with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 40 min. (optional cut pumpkin in half to reduce roasting time).
4. Remove cooked ham from stock pot and shred the meet. (reserve bones for bone broth).
5. Strain off about 1/3 to 1/2 stock mixture and save for your next soup recipe.
6. Add roughly chopped potatoes, smoky paprika, and cinnamon to stock pot.
7. Once pumpkin is cooked, remove seeds and peel and roughly chop before adding into the stock pot.
8. Add in cream and use stick blender to puree soup. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
9. Add in 2 cups shredded ham and optional bacon pieces.
10. Serve topped with pepitas seeds and optional sour cream or natural greek yoghurt.
11. Serve warm crusty sourdough on the side.
12. Leave a comment to let me know what you think of this recipe!!!

Roast pumpkin and ham soup REcipe NOtes

• Save bones and vegetables scraps in your freezer to make bone broth.
• Omit meat and create a vegetable stock instead just up the veggies and add slightly more salt.
• I have used coconut cream and coconut sour cream for this soup to make it dairy free. It tasted delicious so don’t be afraid to experiment with different cream varieties.
• Ensure your ham is still a little chunky! This creates more texture in the soup making it more enjoyable to eat.
• Cook soup in bulk to store in your freezer for those rainy day meals.
• Reserve extra stock and extra ham in your freezer for your next soup recipe or meals.
• ALWAYS taste your food and season accordingly. You will learn a lot about flavour by ensuring you tweak the seasoning every time!