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Pumpkin Soup Recipes

Sweet and hearty, pumpkin soup is a flavorful start to a harvest meal or a full meal all on its own. Mix it up in the kitchen with these different takes on pumpkin soup.

Fresh Versus Canned Pumpkin Puree

First, decide whether to use canned or fresh pumpkin puree for your soup. We’re big believers in “fresh is best”, especially if you pick-your-own pumpkins in the pumpkin patch. If you’re in a hurry or preparing pumpkin dishes during an offseason, canned pumpkin is an easy alternative.

Homemade pumpkin puree has a brighter flavor than the canned stuff. Bonus: there’s no risk of that metallic taste from being stored in a can. Making your own pumpkin puree from scratch also allows you to control the flavors and use your preferred pumpkin variety (we love sugar pie pumpkins). Try the Chiles family pumpkin puree recipe.

Homemade pumpkin puree

For more information on pumpkin puree, including color, taste, and texture comparisons for fresh and canned, read this Fresh Versus Canned Pumpkins article from Handle the Heat.

Pumpkin Soup Recipes

Whether you like it sweet or spicy, vegan or brimming with meat, there’s a pumpkin soup recipe that’s perfect for you.

Class pumpkin soup recipe from delish

The Classic

Creamy Pumpkin Soup, photo and recipe from Delish

Smooth and endlessly versatile, this recipe can be made using different types of pumpkin or squash and made vegan or vegetarian depending on your diet.

Curried Pumpkin Soup recipe from epicurious

Curried

Curried Pumpkin Soup, photo and recipe from Epicurious

Fresh curry leaves and peeled fresh ginger, along with cumin, coriander, and cardamom, add a spicy, unique flavor.

Pumpkin Beer-Cheese Soup Recipe from Southern Living

Indulgent

Pumpkin Beer-Cheese Soup, photo and recipe from Southern Living

The addition of cheeses adds tanginess to this velvety, rich soup. Who could resist dipping in a pretzel for a game day snack?

Thai Pumpkin Soup recipe from Food and Wine

Spicy

Thai Pumpkin Soup, photo and recipe from Food and Wine

Lemongrass, lime juice, Fresno chile, and fresh cilantro add bright, herbaceous notes to this Thai-inspired soup whose spice level can easily be adjusted.

Creamy Roasted Pumpkin by Simply Quinoa

Healthy

Creamy Chili Roasted Pumpkin Soup, photo and recipe from Simply Quinoa

This blended soup made using roasted pumpkin, carrots, and onion is naturally gluten-free and vegan.

Pumpkin chili recipe from Apartment Therapy

Chili

Pumpkin Chili, photo and recipe from The Kitchn

Turnips, bell peppers, corn, and beans join powers with pumpkins in this hearty vegetarian chili.

Haitian Beef and Pumpkin Soup recipe from epicurious

Meaty

Haitian Beef and Pumpkin Soup, photo and recipe from Epicurious

Also known as Soup Joumou, this aromatic stew is traditionally eaten by Haitians on January 1 to celebrate Haiti’s independence.

Soup Toppers

Don’t forget a festive and flavorful final touch!

Finish pumpkin soups with a cool, creamy swirl of crème fraîche, sour cream, coconut milk, or even chipotle cream. The contrast of the white swirl against the soup’s deep orange color is beautiful as well as delicious.

For added texture, try crunchy toppings. Roasted pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, are a natural tie-in. Maple bacon bits add a meaty, salty component: plus, who doesn’t love bacon? We also love the idea of this chili cran-apple relish or parmesan croutons.

Garnish with ingredients from the recipe to help show people what’s in the soup. Blend roasted apples, carrots, leeks, or mushrooms into the soup for added depth of flavor and then top the mixture with finely cut slivers of whichever vegetable you used. If you added herbs to the soup—rosemary, chives, and sage pair particularly well with pumpkin—chop and sprinkle some on top.

Pick your own pumpkin patch at Chiles Peach Orchard

Can’t get enough pumpkins? Learn more about pumpkins and pumpkin picking at Chiles on our Pumpkins FAQs.

Our Favorite Apple Butter Recipes

Whether you prefer to make homemade apple butter with fresh from the orchard apples (All Recipes has a well-rated recipe for apple butter) or pick it up from our Country Store, apple butter is a fall pantry staple.

What is apple butter and how is it different from apple sauce?

Both apple sauce and apple butter are made from a combination of apples, sugar, and spices: the main difference is cooking time and consistency. Apple sauce becomes apple butter if allowed to simmer for a longer time, until it forms a thick spread with a buttery texture. Think of it this way: apple sauce can be eaten on its own and apple butter is best used as a topping or sweet ingredient in another dish.

There are so many ways to use apple butter!

Cinnamon apple sauce made by Chiles Family Orchards

Apple butter is a flavorful spread

With sweet, concentrated apple flavor, apple butter is a delicious, easy spread. For breakfast, top biscuits, pancakes, or toast with apple butter. Mixing apple butter into ice cream or sweet potatoes adds sweet depth of flavor and a hint of cinnamon.

Here are some of our favorite ways to use apple butter straight from the jar:

  • Swirl into ice cream
  • Spread on biscuits, pancakes, toast, or scones (add a slice of fresh apple on top for crunch!)
  • Frost cupcakes or pumpkin bread
  • Mix into mashed sweet potatoes
  • Top ham sandwiches or turkey paninis

Apple butter recipes for entrees, sides, and dessert

Pork Chops Primavera recipe by BHG

Entrees

Apple butter is an easy glaze or marinade for most meats and is particularly well-suited to pork and poultry.

Breakfast Sausage Meatballs with Apple Butter Dipping Sauce Recipe by Southern Living

Snacks and Sides

Transform apple butter into a dipping sauce, mix it into vegetables, or spread it on crostini for a punch of apple-y goodness.

Apple Butter-Banana Bread recipe by BHG

Desserts and Breakfast

Kick the apple flavor up a notch by incorporating apple butter into your favorite fall baked goods and sweet treats.

Bonus: apple butter cocktails

Yes, you can even drink apple butter!

Apple butter bourbon cocktail

Apple Butter Old Fashioned Cocktail

When making apple butter from scratch, not apples are created equal!

Read our apple flavor profile guide to select the best apples for making apple butter at home and see when each apple variety is in season.

Baked Apples with Sausage Stuffing Recipe

Sweet or savory, baked apples are the perfect treat on a crisp fall day.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon oil
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1/4 cup finely diced onion
  • 3/4 pound sausage
  • 1 box stuffing mix or your favorite homemade stuffing
  • 1 1/4 cup unsalted chicken broth, plus 3/4 cup for finishing
  • 6-12 apples such as Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Stayman

Makes six baked apples.

Instructions

Core the Apples

Start with the apples, preferably Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or Stayman. These apple varieties are the best cooking apples and add beautiful color to the final dish. They are also larger in size, making them easier to fill with stuffing. For more bite, use Granny Smith and for a milder flavor once cooked, use Golden Delicious.

Slice the top of the apples off. Use a spoon or a melon baller to carefully scoop out the entire core of the apple. Repeat slice and scoop for every apple. Don’t discard the apple cores—add them to the compost!

Spoon small pat of butter into each apple.

Place apples in a baking dish with high sides and set aside.

Make the Sausage Filling

Heat the oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the sausage to the skillet and cook thoroughly, making sure to break the sausage into crumbles. Remove from heat.

Cooking filling with sauage, celery, broth, and stuffing mix

In a large bowl, add chicken broth in the same amount as water is called for in the stuffing mix instructions, about 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth. (We used Pepperidge Farm Country Cube Stuffing.)

Stir together bread stuffing and sausage mixture so that the stuffing is soft and moist. If the mixture appears dry, add more broth.

Spoon the sausage stuffing into the apples.

Put sausage stuffing in apples such as Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious

Add Broth and Bake Apples

Once all of the apples are stuffed and in the dish, carefully pour an additional 1/4-1/2 cup of broth over the apples. Add another 1/4 cup of broth to the bottom of the dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the apples are softened but not falling apart. If you don’t want the stuffing to brown, cover the dish while baking.

Baked Golden Delicious apples with stuffed with sausage filler

Enjoy

Serve baked apples warm. They are especially delicious when paired with apple cider and a simple green salad.

Can’t wait to get outside and pick the perfect baking apples? Check pre-picked and pick-your-own apple availability at the orchards.

Pumpkin Puree Recipe

When cooking from scratch, fresh is best. Pumpkin puree is an essential ingredient in pumpkin pasta sauce, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, and other seasonal recipes. Follow these instructions to make your own homemade pumpkin puree.

Ingredients and Tools

  • Pumpkin
  • Salt, if desired
  • Chef’s knife
  • Spoon, preferably grapefruit spoon
  • Aluminum foil

And that’s it! Simple, delicious, and healthy.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Cover cooking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

On another surface (outside usually is best—it’s a messy process!), use a sharp knife to remove the pumpkin stem.

stem cut out of pumpkin

Cut the pumpkin in half, stem to base.

pumpkin cut in half from stem to base

Use a spoon—a grapefruit spoon works very well—to scrape out the seeds and pulp.

spoon used to scrape out pumpkin pulp and seeds

Cover each pumpkin half with foil and place on prepared baking sheet.

cut pumpkin covered in foil for oven roasting

Bake in the preheated oven, foil side up, 1-1.5 hours, depending on size of pumpkin, or until tender.

Scrape the pumpkin meat from shell halves with spoon and puree in a blender. Strain to remove any remaining stringy pieces. Add a pinch of salt, if desired.

fresh-made pumpkin puree

If you are not using the pumpkin puree immediately, store in the freezer in freezer safe bags.

Looking for ideas on how to use homemade pumpkin puree? We love our cream cheese pumpkin bread recipe.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread Recipe

The secret to flavorful pumpkin bread is homemade pumpkin puree made with fresh-from-the-orchard pumpkins. Take pumpkin bread to the next level with a sweet and tangy cream cheese filling.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bread

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup liquid-state coconut oil (canola or vegetable may be substituted)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream (lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt, optional and to taste

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 1 large egg
  • 4 ounces softened brick-style cream cheese (lite is okay)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray one 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan, and set aside.

Make the Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients for pumpkin bread include white and brown sugar, egg, coconut oil, vanilla extract, sour cream, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, add both sugars, egg, coconut oil, vanilla extract, sour cream, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ground nutmeg. Whisk to combine.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold together with a spatula or stir gently with a spoon until just combined. Do not over-mix.

Transfer about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and pushing the batter into corners and sides as necessary. Set aside.

Prepare Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients for the pumpkin bread filling include white sugar, cream cheese, flour, and egg

In a large bowl, add egg, cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Mix with a whisk or hand mixer to combine.

Evenly pour the cream cheese filling mixture over the pumpkin bread batter, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.

The cream cheese filling on top of the pumpkin bread batter

Top the filling with the remaining pumpkin batter, taking care not to disturb the cream cheese layer.

pumpkin bread batter

Bake, Cool, and Enjoy

Bake for about 48 minutes or until the top is domed, golden, and the center is set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. The toothpick test is tricky for this recipe because the cream cheese does not firmly set. If you feel the tops and sides of the bread will become too browned before center cooks through, tent the pan with a sheet of foil at the 35 minute mark.

Baking times will vary based on moisture content of pumpkin, cream cheese, climate, and oven variances. Bake until done; watch your bread, not the clock.

Allow pumpkin bread to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Bread will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

From our family’s cookbook to yours, enjoy.

Cream cheese pumpkin bread fresh from the oven

Peach Cobbler Scone Recipe

Sweet, juicy peaches may be the ultimate treat on a hot summer day, but these peach cobbler scones will keep you cozy when it’s cold and rainy too! Recipe serves 8. Be sure to follow us on Facebook for more recipes and ideas.

Peach Cobbler Scone ingredients

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold and cut into cubes (if you don’t have shortening you can certainly substitute unsalted butter)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk, cold
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ripe peach, sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk, for brushing
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mixing bowl with dry ingredients and wooden spoon

Step 1

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Use your hands to break the fat cubes into the dry ingredients. Some of the fat bits will be the size of peas while others will be the size of oat flakes.

Mixing Bowl with wet and dry ingredients

Step 2

In another bowl, combine egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat lightly with a fork. Add the liquid to the flour mixture all at once, stirring gently until it forms a soft dough.

Ball of dough on floured surface

Step 3

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times. If the butter has warmed too much in the making of the dough, shape the batter into a dish, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. If the butter is still cool, shape the dough into a disk and, on a well-floured surface, roll dough to a little less than 1/2-inch thickness, slightly thinner than a biscuit dough that you would cut biscuits from.

Rolled out dough with peach slices

Step 4

Brush half of the rolled-out dough with buttermilk. Arrange peach slices in a single layer across the buttermilk-moistened dough. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Carefully fold the empty side of dough over the peach sliced layer, pressing together gently.

Large scone dough brushed with cinnamon sugar

Step 5

Add a bit of flour to your hands and press the edges of the dough in, creating more of a rectangle shape than a half circle shape. Using a floured knife, slice dough into eight even pieces, or bake it as one large scone!

Place the scones on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2-inches of room around each scone for spread while baking. If dough has warmed and feels mushy, place in the fridge for 20 minutes to re-chill. Before baking, brush each scone top with buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Scone coming out of the oven

Step 6

Bake scones for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Scones are best served warm, on the day they are baked, with softened butter.

Pumpkin Recipes

Let’s be honest: “Pumpkin spice everything” isn’t just a trend for college girls. It’s for all of us! Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy everyone’s favorite fall gourd.

Sunny-side-up egg served in a personal-sized pumpkin

Breakfast

How cute is this sunny-side-up egg served in a personal-sized pumpkin? And who knew that a pumpkin doubled as a baking dish? Your family is sure to get in the fall spirit with this breakfast.

Recipe and photo from Everyday Southwest

Pumpkin wedges

Lunch

Say goodbye to French fries and say hello to spicy roasted pumpkin wedges. Load up and eat them as they are, or serve with a roast or other meaty main dish.

Recipe and photo from Where Is My Spoon

Pumpkin seeds

Snack

Who would we be if we didn’t provide a recipe for perfect roasted pumpkin seeds? Season them according to your taste—sweet, spicy, it’s up to you! Just try not to eat them all at once.

Recipe and photo from Home Cooking Memories

Pumpkin pasta with mushrooms

Dinner

This gorgeous vegan pumpkin pasta with wild mushrooms is sure to be a showstopper at your next dinner party. The creamy pumpkin sauce makes a perfect backdrop for the garlic and herb flavors.

Recipe and photo from Cilantro & Citronella

Pumpkin Pie

Dessert

This take on pumpkin pie combines a fluffy filling with a gingerbread crust, topped with candied pumpkin. This recipe even explains how to make homemade pumpkin puree.

Recipe and photo from Martha Stewart

We grow all sorts of pumpkins here at Chiles Peach Orchard. Be sure to look at our Pumpkin FAQs for information on which type of pumpkin will best serve your cooking project.

5 Apples a Day

We’ve all heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Here at Carter Mountain, we recommend a solid five apples a day. While we enjoy a crisp, raw apple (with so much variety, it’s hard to get bored!), here are some delicious ways to incorporate the bushel of apples you picked last weekend into every meal.

Breakfast: Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

Bowl of Apple Oatmeal

The most important meal of the day! We love this easy apple oatmeal on a brisk fall morning. Bonus: it’s naturally gluten free, high fiber, and low fat.

Recipe and photo from Eating Well

Lunch: Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Shake things up (or…blend things up?) with this creamy soup that’ll warm you to your toes. The savory bacon contrasts perfectly with the sweet butternut squash and tart Granny Smith apples.

Recipe and photo from Epicurious

Afternoon Snack: Fruit Leather

Homemade Apple Fruit Leather

Did you know that apples give you energy? A snacktime apple is a healthy alternative to a midday cup of Joe. If you’ve got kids (or if you’re a kid at heart), try homemade fruit leather for a fun pick-me-up.

Recipe and photo from Real Mom Nutrition

Dinner: Curry

Bowl of Apple Curry

This Trinidad-inspired curry uses tart green apples in place of mangos. Add some roti bread and curry enhancements such as cilantro or habanero for a simple yet flavorful dinner.

Recipe and photo from Simply Recipes

Dessert: Chimichangas

Apple Chimichangas

You didn’t think we’d forget dessert, did you? For a Tex-Mex twist on traditional apple pie, try these warm and gooey apple chimichangas.

Recipe and photo from Muchtaste

Suffice it to say that you don’t need to worry about over-picking apples this season. C’mon out to the orchard, check out our tips for cooking with apples, and be sure to let us know how your recipes turn out!

How to Grow a Family of Healthy Eaters

No matter how well-rounded your taste buds are, chances are your little ones (or maybe even the bigger ones in your family…*cough*) are picky eaters. You probably don’t need to be told twice that a balanced diet with lots of veggies is crucial to your well-being. So how do you get the kids on board?

Leave ‘Em Out

If healthy foods are the only thing available when your kids are hungry, they’ll get used to eating them for fun. Try leaving out a plate of vegetables for when your kids get home from school so it’s the first thing they see when they look for an afternoon snack. If you’re on the go, stock a cooler with carrots, celery, or other easy-to-munch veggies.
Selection of Chiles Peach Orchard veggies

Embrace Dipping

While many store-bought dressings are full of sugar and other not-so-good ingredients for your family, it’s fairly simple to put together a homemade dressing with Greek yogurt, spices, and oils. Butter is also an easy additive when cooking up veggies—it reduces the bitterness that your kids are scared of.
selection of dips

Lead by Example

Make sure you and your spouse are open about the benefits of healthy foods. Talk about how it’s fun to try new things, and how some foods just take a little while to get used to. If your kids admire any sports stars or musical artists, it doesn’t hurt to mention that vegetables are what give them the energy to perform at their best.
basket of Green Beans

Pick Your Own

Give your kids ownership of their diets. Bring them down to the Orchard and let them pick their own green beans, tomatoes, and more. If they’re old enough, have them cut or season them at home. Be sure to affirm them with your excitement to eat what they’ve selected and prepared. It’s beautiful for kids to take pride in their own healthy eating habits, and you’ll grow great memories too.
display of fresh vegetables at Chiles Peach Orchard

Stay Balanced

An apple cider donut or two never hurt anyone! Offering dessert can incentivize your kids to finish their greens, but expressly forbidding sweets can just make them more tempting (and your kids will scarf down said treats even faster when they’re offered elsewhere). Don’t be afraid to let your little ones experience the full spectrum of delicious food.
mother feeding ice cream to daughter

7 Just Peachy Summer Recipes

Sweeter than apples and sturdier than berries, peaches are one of the most versatile fruits to cook with. Whether you bake ’em, grill ’em, or eat them fresh, peaches are a key ingredient in a cook’s summer kitchen.

To Drink: White Peach Sangria

white peach sangria from vegan family recipes blog

This fruity, alcoholic white wine sangria is loaded with peaches, strawberries, and blueberries. Colorful and sweet, it’s perfect for parties and summer BBQs.

Recipe and photo from Vegan Family Recipes.

To Bake (Sweet): Peaches and Cream Muffins

peaches and cream muffins from baker by nature

These muffins couldn’t be an easier—the recipe is simple and comes together in under 20 minutes. The muffins are soft, fluffy, and topped with a creamy cinnamon vanilla glaze.

Recipe and photo from Baker by Nature.

To Bake (Savory): Peach and Prosciutto Pizza

peach prosciutto pizza

Three kinds of cheese, peaches, and prosciutto topped with fresh basil and a honey balsamic reduction—it’s a pizza you’ll never forget.

Recipe and photo from Cooking Classy.

To Grill: Grilled Peach Salad

grilled peach salad from taste with the eyes

This summer salad packs a flavor punch with bourbon grilled peaches, blueberries, onion, bleu cheese, and pistachios on a bed of farro and arugula. The salad is dressed with a sweet maple bourbon rosemary dressing.

Recipe from Taste with the Eyes.

To Fry: Fresh Peach Fritters

peach fritter from Bunny's Warm Oven

Fluffy, moist, and loaded with fresh peaches, these cinnamony treats are a true indulgence.

Recipe from Bunny’s Warm Oven.

To Freeze: Creamy Peach Popsicles

creamy peach popsicles from Chef Sarah Elizabeth

These naturally sweetened popsicles are a healthy and natural ice cream alternative.

Recipe from Chef Sarah Elizabeth.

To Enjoy Fresh: Peach Salsa

Peach salsa by Dinner at the Zoo

This versatile salsa—made from ripe peaches, red onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and cilantro—is versatile enough to use as a dip with chips, a topping for grilled chicken or fish, or even a component in a salad.

Recipe from Dinner at the Zoo.

The orchards are bursting with juicy, tree-ripened peaches just waiting to be picked and transformed into a delicious meal!