Enka:ri Farm

Oh hello, Fall.

Here’s a sweet and creamy soup to warm you on a chilly autumn evening.

And we’re not going to mess with that canned pumpkin from the store. We’re starting from scratch. Nothing to worry about – it’s easy. This does require a stick/immersion blender!

Baking the pumpkin:
– Choose a good pie pumpkin – not a giant carving pumpkin, those don’t taste good.
– Preheat oven to 400F.
– Knock off the stem and chop the pumpkin in half. Lay guts down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
– Bake for about 20 minutes. When you can easily poke through the skin with a fork, remove from oven.
[[While pumpkin is baking, start prepping the rest of the ingredients for the soup!]]
– Scoop out the guts and toss them in the compost. Now scrape the “meat” of the pumpkin away from the skin with a spoon – it should scoop away easily.
– Yell out, “Soup’s on!” to all the people you’re gonna feed. Because it’ll be dinner time in no time at all.

Ingredients:
– 3 cups baked pumpkin
– 3 cups broth (this version used 3 cups boiling water plus 2tbsp Better than Bouillon “no chicken” base, you can use veggie broth or chicken broth)
– 1 16oz can of coconut milk (I usually go with the Thai Kitchen brand)
– 1 medium red onion, chopped finely
– 1/4 cup chopped celery
– 2 tbsp butter (or oil to sauté onion)
– 1tbsp ginger, chopped finely*
– 1-2tbsp garlic, chopped finely
– 1tbsp thyme
– 2tsp curry powder
– 1/2 tsp garam masala**
– dash of ground cloves
– salt and pepper to taste
– chopped fresh parsley and chives for garnish

*Note on ginger – store it in the freezer. Peel the skin off with the edge of a small spoon – yes, just after removing from freezer.

**Note on garam masala – if you don’t have this in the pantry, don’t fret. While it is a delicious and very aromatic spice blend – you may have enough of it’s contents to make up the difference. Garam masala is usually some mix of spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, peppercorns, mace, coriander and mustard seeds.

Simple Steps:
1. Boil 3 cups water for broth in an electric kettle or medium pot.
2. On medium low heat, melt butter in a 6quart soup pot and cook onions until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add in garlic, ginger, and celery and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the thyme for a brief toasting.
3. Pour the boiling water into the soup pot and stir in Better Than Bouillon. Add in the coconut milk and pumpkin.
4. Add curry powder, cloves, and garam masala.
5. Use the stick blender to cream the pumpkin and smooth out the soup.
6. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Yell, “Soup’s up!” to those you’ll feed. Dish it out and garnish with parsley and chives and a bit of fresh thyme. Accept compliments with grace.

Enjoy!

We really enjoyed this soup served with another fall favorite – fried green tomatoes with sriracha remoulade (vegan mayo)

See More Recipes

A note on using fresh herbs:

Fresh herbs just add so much more flavor. Here’s my guide on storing fresh herbs for best shelf life.