Doesn’t everyone have their own version of delicious pumpkin soup?
Some use lemon. Some put in curry …
I think every cafe in the country has their favourite recipe.
Here are three takes that are a little different.
Cumin Roasted Pumpkin and Kumara Soup
Roasting veges and turning them into soup is a winner whatever root vegetables you use. Here we marry sweet kumara + pumpkin with seductive cumin seeds and coriander.
1/2 a pumpkin, peeled, chopped
2 kumara, peeled
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup finely chopped coriander stalks + roots
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper
5-7 cups vege stock
Coconut yoghurt to serve
Preheat oven to 180. Combine everything BUT the vege stock in a large bowl. Spread out on a roasting tray and bake for 30 minutes, turning at intervals.
Blend with vege stock in batches until smooth.
Serve with a swirl of coconut yoghurt and fresh coriander leaves.
Creamy pumpkin with a twist
Some of the best pumpkin soup I’ve eaten has been Thai inspired (see below). Think lemon grass, coconut and kaffir lime … delicious! Hard to beat … that is until now.
This recipe adapted from Mark Reinfeld’s The 30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of the East keeps you in Asia but plays with flavours of the Orient.
You’ll need:
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
2 big cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl fresh ginger, minced
4-5 cups pumpkin, chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbl tamari
1 tsp five spice
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp sea salt, to taste
½ cup cashews, toasted
Fresh coriander to garnish
In a medium hot oven roast cashews for 10 minutes. Shake the pan once you smell them roasting and be sure not to burn them as they brown up quickly.
Saute onion, garlic, ginger in sesame oil. Add pumpkin, stirring.
Pour in water/stock and simmer until pumpkin is cooked.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
Blend in batches.
Serve with fresh coriander.
Thai pumpkin soup
Most curry pastes are not vegan. The yellow curry paste I use is (see photo below) but I suggest you read the label carefully depending on the brand.
The secret ingredient here are the kaffir lime leaves. Hunt them out. They take the soup to the next level.
In a big pot add roughly chopped:
2 med onions
2 large carrots
1-2 large kumera (sweet potato)
1/2 a pumpkin, ~1.5 kg
2-3 tsp yellow curry paste
2-3 slivered kaffir lime leaves
5-6 cups vege stock
Cook for about 15 mins until everything is tender.
Blend and return to the pot. Take care not to burn yourself.
Stir in:
1 can coconut cream
2 Tbl tamari
Season and adjust flavours to suit, ie, adding more curry paste, tamari, chilli flakes, stock if too thick.
Reheat gently. The coconut cream may separate if boiled.
Garnish with coriander or basil.
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