Happy Thanksgiving!

One of my favorite vegetables is Pumpkin. (OK I feel like I say it every time I write about a vegetable – spinach, eggplant, mushroom, carrot …) In the west, you think of pumpkins in October and November. But in India, you cook it through the year in sambar and a lot of Kerala dishes.

I just love roasting vegetables and roasting pumpkin just brings out its sweetness. Sometimes, I just sprinkle a little brown sugar and roast it, it tastes like pumpkin pie without all the calories. I can eat a whole bowl of it.

For this recipe, I roast the pumpkin before I add it to the soup stock. Of course, you can cook it directly in the stock, but believe me, the roasting just takes it to the next level. I always make a little extra, as I eat some straight from the pan. If you have extra, you can also mash it and add to hummus to make a pumpkin hummus or top it on a salad.

 

 

Depending on what I have that day, I top the soup with either toasted pumpkin seeds, toasted pine nuts, some goat cheese or stir-fried mushrooms. Enjoy the steaming hot bowl of goodness on a cold winter night!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 kg pumpkin
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 4 -5 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (usually milk cream is used)
• 1 large onion – chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds or toasted pine nuts or stir-fried mushrooms or goat cheese

Directions:

Cut the pumpkin in half, remove seeds and cut them into wedges/ slices. You could remove the skin at this point or scoop out flesh after it is roasted.

Preheat oven to 200ºC/ 400ºF

Place pumpkin slices on pan, drizzle a tbsp olive oil on the pumpkins and sprinkle some salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 – 40 minutes till the pumpkin is soft.

Scoop out flesh and cut into small pieces.

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic and fry till golden brown.

Add pumpkin and stock and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt and the spices.

Blend the soup using a blender or an immersion blender till it is a nice puree.

Add coconut milk to give it an, even more, creamier consistency.

Check for salt and add accordingly.

Garnish and serve hot with some crusty bread. It is perfect for a cold winter night.