Velvety Pumpkin Soup (Print version)
Roasted pumpkin puréed with coconut milk, sautéed aromatics and warming spices, finished with toasted seeds.
# What goes in:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2.2 lb 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 - ¾ cup coconut milk (or heavy cream for a richer version)
→ Seasonings & Spices
07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
08 - ½ tsp ground nutmeg
09 - ½ tsp ground cumin
10 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper
11 - Salt, to taste
→ Garnish (optional)
12 - Fresh coriander or parsley
13 - Roasted pumpkin seeds
# Cooking steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the pumpkin cubes with 1 tbsp olive oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 20–25 minutes until golden and fork-tender.
02 - In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot, and sauté 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 develop the flavors.
04 - Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
05 - Remove the pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot, or transfer to a countertop blender in batches, until completely smooth and velvety.
06 - Stir in the coconut milk and reheat gently over low heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh coriander or parsley and a sprinkle of roasted pumpkin seeds, if desired. Serve hot.
# Tips from flavorandfeast:
01 -
- Roasting the pumpkin first gives you a depth of flavor that boiling never could, and it takes almost no extra effort.
- The coconut milk makes it impossibly silky without needing any dairy at all.
02 -
- Do not skip roasting the pumpkin, because boiling it directly in the stock results in a thinner, flatter tasting soup that no amount of seasoning can fix.
- If you are using a countertop blender, never fill it more than halfway with hot soup and always hold the lid down with a towel to avoid a messy and dangerous explosion.
03 -
- Peeling pumpkin is famously frustrating, so try microwaving the whole thing for two minutes first to soften the skin just enough to make your knife glide through.
- Toasting your pumpkin seeds in a dry pan with a tiny pinch of salt until they pop takes thirty seconds and turns a garnish into something people actually notice.