Pumpkin Butternut Squash Soup at The Terrace

I could easily write this review in three words: BEST SOUP EVER!

Specifically, I’m talking about the Spicy Pumpkin Butternut Squash Soup* featured at The Terrace Restaurant located inside the amazingly posh Langham Hotel in Pasadena.

If you’re a fan of any food that is based on pumpkins or squash, you will be delighted with this soup.  Its sweet, slightly spicy, creamy, light, hearty, sooo satisfying…its everything a soup should be!

Here’s a clue to how good it was.  My girlfriend and I tried the soup as an appetizer to our meal.  When it came time for dessert, she had plenty of options to choose from: cakes, pies, pastries, ice creams, and more.  What did she ask for?  Another bowl of soup!

Chef Loren Lawe, the mastermind behind this delectable dish, created the recipe two years ago for a cooking class. It was such a big hit that he added it to the menu at The Terrace. Since then, people have been raving about it.

Typically pumpkin soup is a seasonal thing. You know, something folks have during the winter months to keep them warm and happy. This soup started as a winter menu item but was so well received that its now on the menu year round.

As for the soup, I highly recommend you take a trip to the Langham to try it out.  Yes, the drive to Pasadena is worth it!  In addition to having a great bowl of soup, you’ll be delighted with the beautiful surroundings of the Langham Hotel.  If you go to the restaurant, ask about complimentary valet parking.

If the idea of driving up the 110 has you bummed out, you do have another option.  You can make this soup at home!  Chef Lawe has been gracious enough to share the recipe for his signature soup.  When you make a batch, let me know.  I’ll be glad to stop by and serve as an official taste tester. 😉

Spicy Pumpkin Butter Squash Soup

4 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, chopped
2 teaspons garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
4 cups chopped pumpkin
2 cups chopped butternut squash
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the onions and garlic. Cook until softened and then add spices.
2. Add pumpkin, squash, and stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Place soup into a blender and blend until smooth.  Place blended soup back into sauce pan on low heat.
4. Add brown sugar, maple syrup, milk, and cream to the soup.  Check the seasoning; if its too spicy, add more cream to lessen the heat.

Here’s a tip that the recipe doesn’t mention but was featured at the hotel.  Just before you serve the soup, top it with a few toasted sunflower seeds and a dash of lemon or pepper infused olive oil.  The seeds add a nice texture and the oil adds a hot or citrusy zing!

*The soup was provided courtesy of The Terrance Restaurant.