This pumpkin cream soup is about to become your new Thanksgiving favorite.
My family is very traditional about Thanksgiving. Years ago I made a roasted butternut and sweet potato lasagna for the holiday and nobody even took a bite. We just don’t stray from the usual menu — everyone gets anxious if something is different.
I don’t mind that much; I love a classic Thanksgiving. It’s the kind of meal that tastes like nostalgia and only comes around once a year. Still, sometimes I want to sneak in one small change to satisfy my craving for something new.
A few years after the lasagna incident, I tried a different tactic. Instead of serving a full new dish, I made squash soup shooters alongside a Thanksgiving cheese board. I knew a full bowl would be risky, but a tiny shooter felt curious and approachable.
GUESS WHAT?!
It worked. The shooters were small and intriguing enough that everyone tried them. Because the portions were tiny, no one panicked over a big bowl of unfamiliar soup. Now I include soup shooters as part of my Thanksgiving appetizer lineup every year.
Last year I featured a harvest pumpkin soup shooter in my holiday entertaining guide. If this sounds familiar from my pumpkin bisque with grilled cheese croutons, there are similarities—but that version is smoky and bacon-forward. This recipe leans more toward pumpkin crème with a gentle warmth from spices, finished with a savory roasted hazelnut gremolata.
Roasted hazelnut gremolata might be one of my new favorite toppings. It brings great texture and bold flavor: toasty hazelnuts, bright orange zest, punchy garlic and fresh parsley, all rounded with olive oil. I first saw a pumpkin-and-hazelnut gremolata combination months ago and couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I adapted the idea for Thanksgiving.
Had to.
The gremolata transforms a simple creamy pumpkin soup. It adds crunchy texture and layers of flavor — the hazelnuts are rich and toasty, the garlic adds a sharp note, the orange zest lends brightness, and parsley keeps it fresh. Swirled into the soup or sprinkled on top, it gives the dish an exciting bite.
Serve these in tiny shooters for Thanksgiving and watch them disappear.
Pumpkin Cream Soup with Roasted Hazelnut Gremolata
Pumpkin Cream Soup
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Ingredients
Hazelnut Gremolata
- ½ cup hazelnuts
- ½ cup fresh flat parsley, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 orange, zest, freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- pinch salt
- pinch freshly grated pepper
Pumpkin Soup
- 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ cup creme fraiche
- cream for drizzling, if desired
Instructions
Hazelnut Gremolata
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the hazelnuts (reserve 3 tablespoons for the soup) on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice.
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Once they’re toasted, transfer the nuts to a kitchen towel. Wrap and rub them together to remove as much skin as possible.
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Coarsely chop the hazelnuts. Combine the remaining hazelnuts with parsley, minced garlic, orange zest, salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil. The gremolata can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
Pumpkin Soup
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In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and the 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts. Cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the pumpkin puree, lemon juice, stock and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully blend until smooth (use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender). Return the soup to the pot and warm over low heat.
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Stir in the creme fraiche. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of cream or half-and-half if desired and top with spoonfuls of hazelnut gremolata.
Notes
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I appreciate you so much!
We always need a little crunch with our soup!