With half of a roasted pumpkin on my hands (left over from pumpkin sage risotto) and per William’s request, I made a big pot of curried pumpkin soup—laced with coconut milk and fruity apple. A fat tablespoon of curry powder (I used an Indonesian variety, heavy on coriander and cumin) and a dash of cayenne offset the soup’s sweeter elements and provided just enough background heat to keep things interesting.
Although the home-roasted pumpkin was initially stringier than canned puree, a minute-long whirl with the immersion blender yielded a plenty creamy bowl of soup (perfect for mopping up with a hunk of bread).
This recipe was almost vegan, but I added two teaspoons of Asian fish sauce at the last minute for extra oomph. Lemon juice would provide a distinct zip as well, while keeping the recipe in bounds for vegetarians.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
1/2 3- to 4-pound pumpkin, roasted
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and diced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
Dash cayenne pepper
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
3 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fish sauce (or lemon juice to taste to keep it veg)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
Roast pumpkin (here are great step-by-step instructions), chopping half of the pumpkin into 1/2-inch cubes and reserving the second half for another use.
Heat oil in a medium-sized pot on medium heat. Add onion, apple, garlic, curry powder, and cayenne pepper, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until onion is tender. Add pumpkin, coconut milk, and vegetable stock to the pot, and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Cool slightly and puree soup with an immersion blender (or in batches with a traditional blender). Stir in salt and fish sauce.
Serve topped with cilantro.
Serves 6