Pumpkin is normally more of a fall thing, but we had a warmer December and I had some cans of pumpkin in the cabinet that I never ended up using during prime pumpkin season. Abby posted that she had made this recipe from Make it Naked, which put it on my radar as something quick and easy for a weeknight meal. In between fun social gatherings that always centered around food, I was glad to have a home cooked, lighter meal to break up the heavy restaurant food. When I gave Joe the choice of cheesy beer bread or cornbread as an accompaniment, he quickly picked the beer bread. It took considerably longer for the beer bread to bake than did the soup.
I used Penzey’s hot curry powder (my favorite) to up the heat, so ours had quite a kick, though you can adjust the cayenne based on how spicy you like it. The Greek yogurt also has a cooling effect.
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
source: Make it Naked
Serves 4 as a main course
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
15 ounces pumpkin puree
6 ounces light coconut milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt, for garnish (optional)
Fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent. Stirring occasionally as not to burn the garlic. Stir in the spices. Cook for at least one minute letting the spices get aromatic.
- Add the pumpkin. Whisk in the broth. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk and stir.
- Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt and chopped herbs. Add salt and/or pepper to taste.
