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I had so much fun, as this recipe evolved, adding some additional ingredients from what I remembered the lost recipe having. I love throwing lots of healthy vegetables into my soups, making them powerhouses of nutrition and bursting with great flavor. Onions, shallots, carrots and jalapeño, all roasted until golden, combine delightfully with cumin, ground coriander and chili powder. Add a touch of brown sugar, and you have a delicious soup with a south-of the-border-flair.
It turns out that I like this one way more than the original. The roasted veggies and warm spices give it a fabulous depth of flavor. Coconut milk adds just a touch of sweetness. I must say, I'm actually pleased that I lost the former - in order to make way for this wonderful Southwestern Pumpkin Soup.
When I looked at the weather forecast for the next week, I thought perhaps, I was back in London instead of sunny North Carolina. There's a steady string of cool, cloudy, rain-filled days in the outlook for us. There's an old saying; "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". My new version is; "When life gives you gloomy days, make soup"! You won't be sorry you made this one!
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Southwestern Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large shallots, halved
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and halved
- 4 large carrots, cut in approximately 1 inch slices
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 15- ounce can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, that has sugar and spices added
- 1 12- ounce jar roasted red peppers
- 1 14- ounce can light coconut milk
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt or, to taste
- ÂĽ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- salted, hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- finely sliced fresh cilantro stems**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ËšF. Lightly oil or spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Combine cumin, coriander, chili powder, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl.
- Combine onion, shallots, carrots and jalapeño in a medium size bowl. Drizzle olive oil over veggies and stir to coat. Add spice mixture and stir again, till well coated.
- Transfer veggie mixture to prepared pan, being careful to scrape all the spices and oil out of the bowl. Place in oven and roast for 10 minutes. Stir and re-distribute veggies to a single layer. Roast for another 10 minutes or until beginning to brown.
- While veggies are roasting, combine pumpkin puree, roasted red peppers, coconut milk, chicken broth, oregano and salt in a large dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. When veggies are finished roasting, transfer them to the dutch oven.
- Return soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Puree mixture in a regular blender* or use an immersion blender right in the pot. Puree till smooth and silky.
- Garnish with pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) and finely chopped cilantro stems**.
Notes
~ * Cilantro stems are edible and are actually the most flavor-packed part of the plant! They also give a nice little crunch as a soup topping.
~ ** If you use a regular blender, allow soup to cool a bit. then puree it in batches, otherwise you'll have a huge mess when you turn the blender on. I use a immersion blender (also known as a stick blender) for soups and lots of other things. They are very inexpensive and save a lot of time.
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This is one of our favorite recipes!! Just the right amount of spice and complexity. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Marian, for taking the time to leave a comment and your review! I love how easy this soup is too! So happy you've enjoyed it!
I've made this soup twice, to rave reviews. Thank you so much for this recipe, I wouldn't change a thing!
Thanks Robin! So happy you enjoyed it.
I just made this soup and the taste is good but it turned out so thin. The soup in ur pic looks thicker. What is the on sisterly supposed to be?
Tracy, if you make it again, start out with a little less broth and then add more as you need it.
We've already made this soup a handful of times and it's cooking again as we speak. Exceppent recipe!
Thanks for letting me know Samantha. We love this soup too, I'm dying to make it again but I have so many other recipes rolling around in my head ............ Thanks for reminding me about it, I may just make it for a dinner party we're having. I think it would make a really nice appetizer soup served in pretty little bowls. 🙂 Chris
I have a recipe too for this soup but have never tried it, I will look for it and see how they compare, Your soup looks comforting and beautiful for this chilly Fall weather.
The cake looks beautiful and with all those flavors I can imagine what a delicious soup it must have been. Some blessings come in disguises and this soup is surely one!
Love pumpkin soup!! Bed the roasted peppers take it to another level.. Gorgeous photos
Gorgeous, gorgeous photos!! And the most of the ingredients are on my favorite list. I'm so glad you recreated it!!
It looks beautiful and oh so delicious! Wish I had a big bowl right now.
Mmmmm that sound so good. Have a good week. Diane
Oh does this sound good! I had to pin it (to three different boards-lol) before I even commented. So hoping to make this very soon! Glad you were able to make an even better version b/c losing a recipe you love is so upsetting! At least to us foodies. 🙂
Is this pure perfection or what?! Yes it is! You know we live in Texas so Tex-mex is a big deal here-this soup is right up our alley, so looking forward to giving this a try!
SO stunning in your blue bowls! And I can only imagine it's as delicious as it looks! What a marvelous autumn soup. Hope you had a terrific weekend, Chris 🙂
isnt it a good thing that you've lost the old recipe..and i believe you are someone who can create better and better recipes..love the vibrant color of your soup!
Loving that you added Southwestern flair to a pumpkin soup, I can't express how happy that makes me.. and I can't wait to make this recipe!
are you kidding me - pumpkin soup with 19 ingredients - and the pumpkin out of a tin! I like the idea, but there is an easier way - roast all your vegies - including fresh pumpkin, carrots, onion, capsicum, sweet potato - whatever, spice it up with tabasco, salt and pepper, if you want and put it in a blender with some chicken stock - hey presto!
Thanks for another great soup suggestion! Though I love cooking totally from scratch, I don't always have the time. I didn't have a fresh pumpkin and didn't feel like running to the market. Honestly, this soup is so good, I don't think it matters. Thanks for your input ~ Chris
Wow, this is one great soup! Love all the good stuff you've included in it - it must taste wonderful. My recipe organization is at best chaotic (verging on nonexistent) - one of the reasons I started my blog was so I'd have a handy place to find my recipes! Anyway, super post - thanks.
Beautiful and healthy soup Chris -I'm so glad you recreated it!!
This looks really good! I just bought pumkins, so happy!!!
Love the fall flavors. Looks fantastic!
This is the perfect fall soup!So many tastes in a dish!
Kisses,dear!
Love the photographs ..importantly for this cold weather I don't mind having this flavorful warm soup to keep me energized .. Check out the event running on my blog
Theme -lets celebrate Halloween
http://justnotthecakes.blogspot.com/2013/10/event-announcement-lets-celebrate.html
What a great combination of ingredients for a pumpkin soup. Yum! Pinned!
This sounds delicious and sure is gorgeous in those blue bowls!
I love pumpkin soup and with roasted red peppers, this is sure to be a hit. Can't wait to try it!
Finally, after a long absence, I am back to read, enjoy and make your recipes.......adding to my collection of the many CSF recipes that I have actually made, This sounds good and I am quite relieved that you used pumpkin puree. I thought you were going to make us go after the meat in a real Jack O'Lantern. There's nothing in the soup that doesn't sound flavorful. It's already cold every day in the Colorado High Country so soup is on my menu often. (Looking forward to reading your London posts.)
Ooh!!! Give me a rainy day---i would love to make soup! 🙂
This soup looks absolutely fantastic!
The pumpkin soup looks really super with all the added roasted veggies. Love your soup bowls too.
Lots of big flavors in this soup Chris! Love the pretty pics too-enjoy:@)
I love this soup Chris, look beautiful!
Lovely new creation pumpkin soup, Chris! It bet tastes like the wonderful autumn...
Wow Chris! I am sure this is way better than the original recipe! You have all the ingredients I love jammed into this soup!! I would love a heaping bowl of it for lunch today. How long is the flight to S. Carolina?