I apologize for being rather quiet lately. It’s been a little while since my last post.
Recently, I visited friends and family in New Jersey and New York. There, the season of fall is flourishing, though we did get one or two unseasonably warm days. As much as I love the temperate climate of the Bay Area, I must say I adore fall in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. The abrupt coolness and brisk air, the warm colors of the trees and fallen leaves, the blue skies and starry nights.
I will share a few photos from my recent visit to New Jersey…
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Above is my niece practicing soccer and below is game day.
It was during my visit that I was inspired to make a wholesome and comforting fall soup to complement the lovely season.
A couple of notes on this recipe:
- You may use fresh pumpkin for this recipe. Although I typically shy away from canned foods, pumpkin is an exception
So if you’re purchasing canned pumpkin, it’s easy to mix up pumpkin filling with pure pumpkin puree. Be sure to look for cans that only contain one ingredient: pumpkin. Most markets sell canned pumpkin. I purchased my canned organic pumpkin from Whole Foods. - You can blend or puree the soup, as I did in this recipe, but it is not required. Some folks prefer their soup chunky. If you do not choose to blend it, chop your apples and onions finely.
- I usually reserve a little bit of the fresh garlic and add it once I remove the pot of soup from heat. It will cook gently just from the high temperature of the soup but the flavor will not be lost.
- For an extra special touch, you can serve the soup in pre-made bread bowls or make your own. I purchased mine from a local bakery/cafe, Le Boulanger.
- A great topping for this soup is toasted pumpkin seeds. Just take shelled pumpkin seeds, sprinkle on a little olive oil and some nutmeg, and roast for about 15 minutes at 350F.
Coconut Pumpkin Soup (Vegan)
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 medium apple, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, unsweetened
3 cups canned pumpkin (about 1 1/2 15-oz. cans)
1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cumin
In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onions, apple slices, and one of the two cloves of garlic until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except one garlic clove, and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Blend until smooth using a hand blender or food processor. Top with one garlic clove and toasted pumpkin seeds (see notes section above). Serve hot. Enjoy!
Makes about 7 cups.
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