Styrian Pumpkin Soup
This recipe for Styrian Pumpkin Cream Soup combines a simple preparation with a long regional history. Pumpkins have been grown for oil in Slovenian Styria (Štajerska) since at least the 18th century, when the area was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. By the late 19th century, farmers in the region began cultivating a special strain of Cucurbita pepo that developed a natural mutation producing hull-less seeds. This Styrian oil pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca) proved exceptionally well-suited for oil pressing. Its dark-green oil, rich and nutty, became a regional hallmark and today holds Protected Geographical Indication status (Štajersko-prekmursko bučno olje).
Around the same period, cream soups were gaining popularity in Europe, influenced by French cuisine. Later, with the arrival of blenders in home kitchens, smooth puréed soups became an everyday possibility. In this context, the pumpkin—once considered simple peasant food—was transformed into a creamy soup enriched with cream, and finished with a drizzle of the region’s distinctive pumpkin seed oil.
Recipe
Ingredients:
800 g diced pumpkin (without peel and seeds)
1 medium-sized onion
2 cloves garlic
750 ml vegetable or beef broth
200 ml cream
15 g butter
pumpkin seed oil (optional)
pumpkin seeds
salt, pepper to taste
Instructions:
Finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté them in about 15 g butter until translucent.
Add the diced pumpkin and briefly roast it, stirring occasionally. Pour in the broth, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
Purée the soup in a blender until smooth, then return it to the pot.
Stir in the cream and bring back to a gentle boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with a few drops of pumpkin seed oil, and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
