This simple and savory Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Bacon is the perfect soup recipe for Fall! Serve a grilled cheese sandwich alongside for a complete meal.
October is upon us, and here it is! The first pumpkin recipe of Fall 2015 here on Healthier Dishes. I know many of you have probably already downed a few Pumpkin Spiced Lattes this season. Me? Not going to happen. I gave it a try a couple of years ago and was NOT a fan.
Yes, I know they’ve changed the ingredients. Which made some people happy and others not so much. I honestly don’t think that slightly better ingredients would change my mind on the matter. I’m just not a fan of sugary-sweet coffee drinks. Actually, I can’t really think of any sweets that I like pumpkin in. Nope, no pumpkin pie for me at Thanksgiving. No sir. But a good savory dish? I am totally on board with that.
I have a couple of savory pumpkin recipes already here on the blog. There’s a Pumpkin Stuffed Shells recipe on here from way back in 2011 that I was just thinking about the other day. I really need to make that one again and post some better pictures on here. Let’s just say that although I still have a long way to go on my food photography skills, I have improved slightly since then. 🙂
This savory Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Bacon is super easy to make and is so thick and creamy. It would be super tasty served alongside a grilled cheese sandwich. We had sandwiches with it the first day. The next day, I turned it into a main course soup by adding a can of pinto beans to it. I served some cornbread along with it, and it was very delicious that way, too!
*Pictures have been updated since the original post in September 2015.
Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 4 slices of turkey bacon or regular bacon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion , diced
- 2 cloves of garlic , minced
- 1 (28 oz ) can of crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 oz) can of pumpkin puree
- 1-1/4 tsp . smoked paprika
- 1-1/4 tsp . ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp . garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp . sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Optional:
- scallions for garnish
Instructions
- In a large heavy saucepan, heat 2 tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Fry the bacon, turning once, until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool, then crumble.
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. If using regular bacon, you can omit the olive oil, and drain all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan instead. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and the spices and let cook for about a minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes and pumpkin, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Using either an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the soup until smooth. If using a regular blender, work in batches, remove the stopper from the lid of the blender and place a thick towel over the hole, holding it in place with your hand as you blend.
- Place the pan back onto the heat, add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer, then serve topped with the crumbled bacon and a grind of black pepper.
