If you love soups, check out these recipes
Broccoli cheddar soup Cauliflower potato soup Thai chicken coconut soup ( Tom kha) Instant pot pumpkin sweet potato soup
You have all the good reasons to make this nourishing soup. It is simple and easy to make(except for the part of chopping the veggies). There are only a handful of ingredients so the natural sweetness of pumpkin shines through. You finish cooking everything in one pot, including blending right in the pot, so minimal cleanup.
Pumpkin – Start ingredients of the recipe and easily available too. Look for sweet, firm flesh varieties like kabocha squash, buttercup squash, and butternut squash. Oil – Coconut oil or any neutral flavored oil. Onion– For the savory undertone. Use yellow or white onion. Ginger – There is a good amount of ginger in here. The warmth of ginger compliments the sweet pumpkin. Coconut milk – To keep it dairy-free I have used coconut milk instead of cream. Coconut milk also works well with pumpkin and Thai flavors. Use full fat or light variant depending on how rich you want the soup to be. Vegetable stock – Good quality vegetable stock. Chicken stock if don’t want to keep it vegan. Lemon grass, Kaffir lime – Lemon grass is an essential aromatic. It adds a burst of freshness. Same for kaffir lime. If you can’t get hold of kaffir lime leaves, substitute with fresh lime zest. Fish Sauce – Can’t think of Thai recipes without a good shake of Fish oil. Fish sauce always rounds off the flavor and is a must. But if you like to keep it vegan, light soy sauce would be a good substitute though not the same. Fresh Cilantro/Coriander – To garnish
Prepare pumpkin – Probably the most time-consuming part of the recipe. Peel and cut into almost equal-sized pieces. Crush the white part of the lemon grass. We will add crushed lemon grass stems directly to the pot. Once the pumpkin is cooked, remove the stem before blending the soup.
Roasting pumpkin for the soup
Roasting veggies enhances the sweetness of it and pumpkin is no different. If you notice the steps, before adding the stock, I am sauteing the pumpkin pieces to lightly caramelize them. Then it cooks along with the stock. You can skip the hassle of chopping the veggie and roast the halved squash. Scoop out the pulp and add to the sauteed onion mix. If using roasted pumpkin in this recipe, reduce the amount to stock by 1.5 cups initially and add more later to adjust the consistency.
How to serve pumpkin soup?
This is wholesome as such and can be served as a meal by itself with some toppings like cilantro, crispy fried shallots, red chili, and a squeeze of lime juice. For crunch, you can also top with roasted pumpkin seeds or crispy garlic croutons. Chunks of crusty bread is perfect for scoop this creamy thick goodness.
Storing suggestions
The flavors only get better the next day, making it a perfect candidate to make it in bulk and refrigerate. In an airtight container, it will easily last up to 3-4 days. To freeze, divide the leftovers into single servings or smaller portions in freezer bags. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.
