If there’s one thing I love almost as much as writing, it’s cooking. I bake all of my own bread from scratch and cook most meals at home.

My love of cooking inspired me to start a new blog series called The Fandom Foodie, where I make recipes from my favorite books, shows, movies, and video games. For the first installment, I decided to make Yeto’s pumpkin soup from the game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I followed the recipe developed by the YouTube Channel Pwnapplez (from his Cucco’s Kitchen series), so go check out his recipe video if you want to make this too.

Yeto’s Superb Soup: The Origin Story

If you’ve played Twilight Princess, you’ll recall that this soup is made by an unlikely chef: a Yeti. Players first encounter Yeto in the snowy mountains beyond Zora’s Domain. He invites Link to his home, which happens to be the next dungeon – Snowpeak Ruins.

Snowpeak is a strange blend of ruined mansion and abandoned military fort. You’ll find cannons, ammunition, and, alarmingly, giant suits of armor. (Which begs the question: what kind of creature did they build this armor for?)

Regardless of its original purpose, Snowpeak is now inhabited by a Yeti couple. Yes, that’s right, Yeto has a wife named Yeta. When Link meets her, she’s not feeling well, which prompts Yeto to make his famous soup.

It starts out as a fish soup, but players have the ability to add ingredients. As you explore the mansion, you’ll find a pumpkin and some goat cheese. Bring them to Yeto and he’ll put them in the soup.

We know this soup has real healing properties because if Link scoops some up in a bottle and drinks it, he recovers eight hearts!

Ingredients and Flavor Profile

Based on the ingredients we see in the pot as Yeto cooks, this soup contains:

• Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• Potatoes
• Fish stock (I substituted chicken stock because I couldn’t find fish stock)
• Pumpkin (Fresh is what the game uses, but you can substitute canned pumpkin puree, which I did here)
• Goat cheese
• Salmon (the closest looking fish to a Reekfish from the game)
• Heavy cream (doesn’t technically appear in the game, but makes the soup extra creamy)

The combination of salmon and pumpkin may seem strange, but it works. The only complaint I have is that the salmon becomes fishy the next day. If I did this again (which I will), I’d add the fish to individual servings of soup rather than putting it in the pot.

There are many lovely flavors that meld in this soup. The earthiness of the pumpkin pairs well with the tanginess of the goat cheese. Heavy cream creates a velvety texture similar to a chowder. The fragrant garlic ties everything together.

Unfortunately, I did not recover any hearts from eating this soup. But it was a filling and no doubt nutritious recipe. 10/10 would make again.

Why Twilight Princess Is My Favorite Zelda Game

Although I love Ocarina of Time, I’d say Twilight Princess is my all-time favorite because of one simple factor: the Link in this game feels more relatable as a character.

The game starts in Ordon Village, where we meet Link’s community. A lot of players complain about the lengthy introductory scene where Link herds goats, entertains the village kids, and helps out his neighbors. I’d argue the mundane opening makes later events more impactful. When the monsters attack the village and kidnap the children, it’s gut-wrenching because we know how much these people mean to Link.

Unlike most other Zelda games where Link’s personality is a blank canvas, the Twilight Princess Link has quite a bit of personality. He’s patient, generous, responsible, and courageous. He steps up and protects the weak, rising to each new challenge even when he suffers personal setbacks, like finding out Ilia doesn’t even remember him due to her amnesia.

My above description probably makes this Link sound too perfect. Yet he avoids feeling like a cardboard cutout because of the range of emotions we see throughout the game. He is heartbroken when he realizes Ilia doesn’t remember him. Furious when King Bulblin kidnaps Colin from Kakariko Village. While I love a good tragic hero like Ocarina of Time Link, it’s so refreshing to see a hero with a normal life and people who love him back home.

There are a lot of other elements that make this game fantastic, from the cinematic cut scenes to the sword skills you can learn from The Hero’s Shade. Those extra skills make the combat more interesting. I could go on and on about other reasons I love this game, but that’s a post for another day.

For now, I’ll pour myself a bowl of Yeto’s Superb Soup, then break out the GameCube and play Twilight Princess for old time’s sake.