If you ask my husband & my in laws they’d tell you all about my fondness for soups as these are my go to comfort foods at the end of a longgg day. I only prefer the creamy ones loaded with veggies as they are so satisfying & heart-warming. So I naturally wanted to make myself a bowl of this rich pumpkin soup made with freshly whipped pumpkin puree. I haven’t tried out the canned purees yet so I made my version of the pumpkin puree at home by roasting the large pumpkins in the oven the same way I roasted the spaghetti squash mentioned in my previous post. This soup was easy to whip up and was just as satisfying as the other creamy soups I make.
Ingredients:
For the pumpkin puree
- Baking pumpkin – 1 large
- Salt
- Drizzle of oil
Other ingredients:
- Olive oil or canola oil – 2 tablespoons
- Onions – ½ medium, finely chopped
- Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Red chili powder or cayenne pepper – ½ teaspoon
- Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
- Smoked paprika (optional) – 1 teaspoon
- Chicken or vegetable stock – 1 cup
- Thick coconut milk – ½ cup
- Roasted pumpkin & chia seeds for garnish
Instructions:
- Skip this step if you’re using canned pumpkin puree. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle salt & drizzle oil over the pumpkins and place them cut side down onto the baking tray. Bake until they’re soft and cooked through. It took an hour to bake half a pumpkin. (Flip them midway). Once done, scoop out the flesh , let it cool and blend them in a mixer until smooth and creamy. Your pumpkin puree is good to go! You can also dice the pumpkins and boil them till soft if you don’t have an oven.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan & Saute the onions & garlic until slightly golden. Add in the cumin, smoked paprika & chili powder. Saute for a few seconds before adding in 1 heaped cup of pumpkin puree along with the chicken/vegetable broth. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes as it comes to a slight boil. Whisk in the coconut milk & finally season with salt & enough pepper. Turn off the stove & Serve hot with a sprinkle of roasted pumpkin & chia seeds, a generous drizzle of coconut milk & a slice of warm toast.