Pumpkin Soup: Creamy and Warmly Spiced - The Blind Kitchen (2024)

Yield: 6 to 8 servings of Pumpkin Soup

This rich and flavorful pumpkin soup can be easily made into a vegan dish. The warm spices and creamy texture are sure to please!

Recipe Note: Ground spices and aromatics are used exclusively in this recipe. Although fresh ginger, garlic, onions and celery are wonderful aromatics, unless you strain the finished soup through cheesecloth, the mouthfeel will be unpleasant with the small chunks in it no matter how long you cook it. And, because the soup is so thick, it makes straining it especially difficult.

Our Pumpkin Soup recipe has 6 sections:

• Section 1: Prepare garnish and bay leaf
• Section 2: Open canned foods,
• Section 3 Measure remaining liquid ingredients and combine and set aside
• Section 4: Measure the spices and aromatics, combine and add to wet ingredients.
• Section 5: Cook fats and sugars, then add canned goods and other liquid ingredients
• Section 6: Add spices and aromatics and season to taste.

Ingredients

One 15.5 ounce can of pumpkin puree (plain, not spiced)
One 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk
Two cups vegetable or chicken broth
One teaspoon liquid hickory smoke
One teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
Two tablespoons maple syrup
One tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Two tablespoons butter (either dairy or plant based)
One tablespoon olive oil
One fourth cup brown sugar
Eight ounces softened cream cheese (either dairy or plant based)
One bay leaf
One fourth teaspoon ground nutmeg
One fourth teaspoon ground allspice
One fourth teaspoon ground cloves
One half teaspoon ground ginger
One half teaspoon ground cardamon
One half teaspoon ground black pepper
One teaspoon ground celery seed
One teaspoon onion powder
One teaspoon garlic powder
One teaspoon curry powder
One teaspoon ground cumin
One teaspoon ground cinnamon
One teaspoon salt
Pepitas and parsley for garnish

Ingredient Note: Pepitas are small huskless pumpkin or other squash seeds that are roasted and lightly salted. Regular roasted pumpkin seeds with the husk still on are too tough to be a garnish on this dish. If you cannot get the Pepitas, roasted, salted sunflower seeds work well too.

Instructions

Step 1: Open cream cheese and allow it to soften at room temperature.
Step 2: Chop one fourth cup of fresh parsley and set aside for garnish. See how to cut fresh herbs with scissors in the Shrimp Scampi recipe.

TBK Tools: Cut Glove and Work Trays

Step 3: Place one bay leaf in a cheesecloth bag and set aside

TBK Tool: Herb Bag

Recipe Note: this recipe comes together quickly once the heat is turned on so it is best to have all of the ingredients ready to go into the pan before you turn the heat on. I suggest you use a work tray or a rimmed baking dish to gather the opened ingredients.

Step 4: Open a 15.5 ounce can of plain pumpkin puree and set aside.

TBK Tool: Safe Can Opener

Step 5: Open a 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk and set aside.

Step 6: Add 2 cups stock to a medium or large bowl.

TBK Tools: Wet Measure Cups and Large Mixing Bowl

Step 7: Add one teaspoon liquid hickory smoke to the broth bowl

TBK Tools: Liquid Dropper, Bottle and Funnel or Wet Measure Spoons, Pitcher and Funnel

Step 8: Add one teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce)
Step 9: Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Step 10: Add one tablespoon apple cider vinegar, mix to combine, and set aside.

TBK Tool: Auto Measure Spout

Step 11: To a small mixing bowl, add one fourth teaspoon ground nutmeg

TBK Tools: Dry Measure Spoons and Mini Box Grater

Step 12: Add one fourth teaspoon ground allspice
Step 13: Add one fourth teaspoon ground cloves
Step 14: Add one half teaspoon ground ginger
Step 15: Add one half teaspoon ground cardamon
Step 16: Add one half teaspoon ground black pepper
Step 17: Add one teaspoon ground celery seed
Step 18: Add one teaspoon onion powder
Step 19: Add one teaspoon garlic powder
Step 20: Add one teaspoon curry powder
Step 21: Add one teaspoon ground cumin
Step 22: Add one teaspoon ground cinnamon
Step 23: Add one teaspoon salt
Step 24: Stir together until well combined and add the spice mixture to the wet ingredients bowl so spices can begin to rehydrate.
Step 25: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon of olive oil and one fourth cup brown sugar in the bottom of a heavy bottom soup pan over low heat until warm and combined. You should just hear a slight sizzle. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes or so.

TBK Tools: Butter Slicer, Auto Measure Spout, Dry Measure Cups, and Long Wood Spoon

Step 26: Add 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and stir until melted, 4 or 5 minutes or so.
Step 27: Add wet ingredients with spices to the pan and stir well.
Step 28: Add bay leaf to pan. (If using a TBK herb bag, tie the drawstring to the handle of the pan.)
Step 29: Add coconut milk and can of pumpkin puree to pan.

TBK Tool: Thumbprint Spreader (to scrape cans)

Step 30: Cook over low heat stirring constantly until soup is very warm, but not boiling, about 10 minutes.
Step 31: Test for seasoning and consistency and adjust.

Recipe Note: If you desire a thinner soup, add more stock or water. If you desire a thicker soup, cook at a low heat so steam can escape stirring constantly. This will result in a thicker soup. This method of thickening is called reduction.

TBK Tool: Tasting Spoon

Step 32: Portion into individual dishes, garnish with pepitas and chopped parsley and enjoy!

Enjoy!
Chef Debra