Velvety Pumpkin Soup (Printer-friendly)
Silky roasted pumpkin blended with coconut milk and warming spices, finished with herbs and seeds.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2.2 pounds pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, chopped
→ Liquids
05 - 3 cups vegetable stock
06 - 0.85 cups coconut milk (or heavy cream for a richer version)
→ Seasonings & Spices
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
11 - Salt, to taste
→ Garnish (optional)
12 - Fresh cilantro or parsley
13 - Roasted pumpkin seeds
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the pumpkin cubes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and tender.
02 - In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot, sautéing until softened, about 5 minutes.
03 - Add the roasted pumpkin, cumin, nutmeg, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Stir for 2 minutes to toast the spices and blend the flavors.
04 - Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until all vegetables are fully tender.
05 - Remove the pot from heat. Use an immersion blender or transfer the soup in batches to a countertop blender, puréeing until completely smooth.
06 - Stir in the coconut milk and reheat gently over low heat. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs and roasted pumpkin seeds if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Roasting the pumpkin first gives you a depth of flavor that boiling alone will never achieve, and once you taste the difference you will never go back.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can make a double batch and have cozy dinners ready for weeks.
02 -
- Do not skip roasting the pumpkin because boiling it directly will give you a watery, flat tasting soup and you will wonder what went wrong.
- If using a countertop blender, never fill it more than halfway with hot soup and hold the lid down firmly with a towel to avoid a dangerous and messy eruption.
03 -
- Save the pumpkin seeds when you peel and deseed the pumpkin, toss them with a little oil and salt, and roast them at 180 degrees C for fifteen minutes for the best garnish you will ever make from scraps.
- A tiny splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice right at the end brightens the entire pot and makes all the flavors pop in a way that salt alone cannot achieve.