Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk (Print Version)
Silky roasted pumpkin purée with warming spices and coconut milk, topped with herbs and toasted seeds.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2.2 pounds 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 tablespoons olive oil
08 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
10 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
11 - Salt, to taste
→ Garnish (optional)
12 - Fresh coriander or parsley
13 - Roasted pumpkin seeds
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the pumpkin cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 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. Sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
03 - Add the roasted pumpkin to the pot along with the cumin, nutmeg, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Stir continuously for 2 minutes to toast the spices and meld the flavors.
04 - Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
05 - Remove the pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth. Alternatively, transfer to a countertop blender in batches and blend until silky.
06 - Stir in the coconut milk and return the pot to low heat. Warm gently without boiling. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Garnish with fresh coriander or parsley and a sprinkling of roasted pumpkin seeds if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Roasting the pumpkin first gives a depth that boiling never will, and that one extra step is the entire personality of this soup.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can make a double batch and pretend you worked hard twice when you barely lifted a spoon the second time.
02 -
- Do not boil after adding coconut milk or it may separate and look curdled, gentle heat only.
- If your pumpkin is watery, roast it longer rather than shorter to concentrate the sugars and avoid a thin, bland soup.
03 -
- If your blender is a countertop model, blend in small batches and never fill it more than halfway with hot liquid, unless you enjoy cleaning soup off your ceiling.
- Toasting the cumin in the dry pot for thirty seconds before adding oil wakes up oils you never knew existed in that dusty jar.