This pumpkin soup with puff pastry bakes right inside two mini pumpkins, with a golden puff pastry lid you break through with a spoon. The soup itself is a simple sage and thyme pumpkin soup made on the stovetop, and it goes into the raw, hollowed pumpkins lukewarm so the pastry has time to puff before anything boils over.
Why I Wanted Dinner Served In A Pumpkin
I had so much fun making my apple creme brulees, hollowing out the apples and turning them into their own little dessert bowls, that I couldn’t stop thinking about doing something similar, but bigger and savory. Mini pumpkins felt like the obvious next step. They’re already the right shape for a bowl, they’re everywhere this time of year, and I wanted something that felt fun and a little unexpected without being complicated to actually pull off.
This is what I landed on: a simple pumpkin soup, baked right inside the pumpkin itself, under a puff pastry lid you break through at the table. It worked beautifully on the first try (and second and third!), and it was delicious, creamy and warmly spiced in a way that felt just right for fall. My kids had so much fun eating dinner out of a pumpkin. There’s something about serving food in its own little vessel that makes it feel like an event, even on a regular weeknight.
You can use regular or gluten-free puff pastry here. Sweet Loren’s and Dufour both make great gluten-free puff pastries, so use whichever one you’d reach for normally.
Key Ingredients
A few quick notes on the ingredients that matter most. Find the full ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
How To Keep The Pumpkins From Collapsing Or The Soup From Boiling Over
- Use raw pumpkins. Roasting them ahead of time is the biggest reason they collapse under the pastry.
- Let the soup cool to lukewarm, not steaming hot, before it goes into the pumpkins. Hot soup can bubble up before the pastry has fully set.
- Fill the pumpkins only halfway to two-thirds full, leaving at least 1 inch of space below the rim.
- Keep the pastry cold and fairly thick, and don’t pull it tight over the rim. It needs room to puff, and warm or overstretched pastry sags instead.
- Cut a small slit or a decorative “X” in the center of each lid. This gives steam somewhere to go and cuts down on condensation and pressure underneath.
- Leave the oven door shut for the first 15 minutes of baking.
Swap In One Of My Other Pumpkin Soups
The soup in my recipe isn’t the only one that works in these mini pumpkins soups. My Jamaican pumpkin soup and my pumpkin and sweet potato soup can both be used in place of the soup here. Just cool either one to lukewarm first and stick to the same fill line, halfway to two-thirds full.
Which Mini Pumpkins To Look For
Not every small pumpkin at the store is meant to be eaten, some are grown purely for decoration and taste bland or stringy. A few varieties are both edible and the right size for this recipe:
- Jack Be Little: The classic choice for this kind of recipe. Small, flat, and about the size called for here, with sweet, tender flesh.
- Baby Boo: A small white pumpkin, similar in size to Jack Be Little, with a mild flavor.
- Wee-B-Little: Another small orange variety bred for both looks and eating, slightly rounder than Jack Be Little.
- Sugar Pie (also called New England Pie): Sometimes sold in a smaller size than the standard version. If you can find one in the 4 to 5 inch range, it works well here.
If your grocery store or pumpkin patch only labels them “mini pumpkins” or “decorative pumpkins,” ask before buying, some of those are treated with wax or aren’t food-safe.
What To Set Out Beside Your Pumpkins
- Set out a plate of puff pastry pinwheels while the pumpkins are in the oven.
- Serve alongside a simple green salad to cut through the richness of the cream and pastry.
- Pair it with a pumpkin grilled cheese for a fully pumpkin-themed dinner.
- Bring it to the table as a first course for a small fall dinner party, one pumpkin per guest.
More Delicious Soup Recipes You Might Enjoy
Puff Pastry-Topped Pumpkin Soup in Mini Pumpkins
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 small edible pumpkins approximately 4 to 5 inches wide
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed but still cold; use regular or gluten-free puff pastry
- Heavy cream or milk for brushing
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the tops from the pumpkins and scoop out all the seeds and stringy pulp. Do not roast the pumpkins beforehand.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, cream, maple syrup, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup should be creamy and moderately thick, not watery.
- Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool for approximately 15 minutes. It should be lukewarm rather than steaming hot.
- Cut two circles of cold puff pastry approximately 1 inch wider than the pumpkin openings. I like to place a bowl upside down on the pastry, then gently cut around it with a paring knife.
- Place the hollow pumpkins on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the soup into them, filling each only halfway to two-thirds full. Leave at least 1 inch between the soup and the top rim.
- Drape a pastry circle over each pumpkin, then fold the edges upward and around the rim, rustically overlapping and pleating the pastry as you go rather than pressing it flat. Do not pull the pastry tightly because it needs room to puff. Cut a small slit or “X” in the center to release steam.
- Brush the pastry lightly with cream or milk. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is fully puffed and turning golden brown.
- Let the pumpkins rest for 5 minutes. To eat, break through the puff pastry with a spoon. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use raw pumpkins. Pre-roasting creates the greatest risk of collapse.
- Use lukewarm soup. Hot soup can bubble before the pastry sets.
- Leave plenty of headspace. Two-thirds full is enough.
- Keep the pastry cold and fairly thick. Warm or overstretched pastry can sag.
- Cut a steam vent. This reduces condensation and pressure beneath the lid.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using a third-party calculator and is an estimate only.
