It is that cold time of year again where all I want to eat is soup. I love the warmth and comfort every bowl of soup has. It is like drinking a hug. With the long cold nights, this roasted pumpkin soup is sure to warm your tummy. Plus, it is dairy, egg, and gluten free. So, your warm tummy will also be a happy tummy.
Let’s get started by talking about pumpkins. I choose two smaller pumpkins. I used a Wee-Be-Little, and a Sweet Sugar Pie. I wanted the sweetness of the pumpkin to be accented in the soup without adding sugar. The benefit of using a Wee-Be-Little is because they are small, and perfect for roasting. They are meaty for their size, and really help drive the pumpkin flavor home in the soup.
You could use canned pumpkin, but you will loose out on most of that fresh flavor. I love roasting pumpkin, and keeping it in the freezer for the next time I need to add a burst of flavor to a soup, pasta sauce, or just wanting some good old fashioned pumpkin pie.
I am not going to lie, this soup is so easy. You can basically dump anything in your fridge, and it will add amazing flavor. If you are missing any of the ingredients, you can leave them out, and try them next time. I used carrots and apples in this recipe because I needed to use them up before they went bad. If you don’t have them, no worries. you will still have an amazing flavorful soup. You will need an immersion blender or just a regular stand blender for this recipe. Nothing beats the silky texture of a beautifully blended hearty soup.
Ingredients
- 2 small 2-3 pound pumpkins (this will give about 5 cups)
- 1 large white onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 inches of grated ginger (or 1 1/4 tsp dried ground ginger)
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 2 hearty apples (I used granny smith)
- 1 jalapeno
- 2 cans full fat coconut milk
- 2 cups veggie broth
- 1 tsp clove
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 the pumpkins, and remove seeds (Save the seeds for later as a garnish, or amazing snack). With the varieties I used, the skin was so thick, I scooped the pumpkin out with no issues. Other varieties, you might have to peel before putting them in the oven. Place in a 450 degree oven until fork tender (it took about 45 minutes for my pumpkins to get there).
- Chop the onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno (remove ribs and seeds if you want a milder soup). Place in a large pot over medium heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes
- Add chopped carrots and apples. Allow the onions to finish cooking all the way through.
- Add veggie stock, coconut milk, and coconut cream. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- By this time, your pumpkins should be almost done roasting. Scoop out the flesh, and add to your simmering soup.
- Add clove, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
- Blend soup until it is smooth and silky.
- Return to heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Garnish with pumpkin seeds (chopped fresh apple or pomegranate seeds would make an amazing garnish as well).
Serves 6-8
I love making large batches of soup. You can freeze leftovers. Or my favorite way is to make it into a pasta sauce for later in the week. Because this soup is thicker, you can add it to your favorite noodle, or ravioli. If you want a thicker sauce you can add some arrowroot powder. Start with a teaspoon, and go from there.
I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we do!
Love, Liv
Natural Liv 