Witch’s Brew Pumpkin Soup

Why you’ll love it

• Kid-friendly: fun to make and decorate together.
• Party-ready: easy to make ahead and share.
• Cute, not scary: perfect for school parties and trick-or-treat night.

Quick facts

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (15 oz each) pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• For the web: 1/4 cup sour cream and 1 tbsp milk

Step-by-step method

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, 6 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute.

2. Stir in the pumpkin, broth, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.

3. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender (or carefully in batches in a regular blender). Stir in the cream and heat through.

4. Ladle into bowls. Mix the sour cream and milk, put in a zip-top bag, and snip a tiny corner.

5. Pipe 3 circles on each bowl, then drag a toothpick from the center out 6–8 times to create a spiderweb.

Pro tip

Sprinkle a few toasted pumpkin seeds in a corner of the web as "flies" waiting for the spider.

Make ahead

Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months (without cream). Reheat gently.