Soup weather is here!! There is nothing like a bowl of rich, creamy, HOT soup on a cold Saturday afternoon. This soup actually ends up being gluten free, vegan, and dairy free, although that wasn't necessarily my goal. My goal was to make something comforting and delicious that everybody would eat and enjoy. I definitely accomplished that! It's sweet, and savory, and has a tiny kick from a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Coconut milk gives this soup a velvety, rich texture, and all of the flavors come together so well.
I did warn you that there would be a handful of pumpkin recipes coming your way... #sorrynotsorry, haha. Pumpkin has so many health benefits and is often overlooked for savory meals because of the misconception that it only belongs in pies and lattes. I have so much pumpkin purée in my pantry from a recent can sale at my grocery store. This meal is made from all the things I had on hand in my pantry, and was very easy to make considering the complexity of the flavors.
I used a large (29 oz) can of Libbys 100% Pure Pumpkin for this recipe, generally their cans are 15 oz, so if that's all you can find in your grocery store, just grab two. Make sure you're buying pumpkin purée and NOT pumpkin pie filling!
Sometimes recipes go through several drafts and taste tests before they make it on the blog. I tried to make this soup a few nights ago, and used WAY too much garlic and only 1 apple. It was still delicious, but I decided to keep it to one clove of garlic this try, with the addtion of 1/2 of a large onion, and an additional apple. The apple gives the soup a hint of sweetness that really compliments the savory pumpkin and vegetables.
I used my Ninja high speed blender to combine everything once my apples, onion and garlic were cooked. You can use a food processor for this, or dice your vegetables and apple as fine as possible and leave in the soup as is. I waited 15 minutes for my onion, garlic, and apples to cool before blending. Be careful when working with hot food!
I topped my soup with pumpkin kernels, dried cranberries, and some cracked black pepper.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium apples peeled, cored, and diced
1 clove of garlic crushed and chopped
1/2 large white onion chopped
29 0z can of pumpkin purée- I used Libby's 100% natural pure pumpkin
2.5 cups of organic vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup canned (UNSWEETENED) coconut milk **optional
Optional toppers: pumpkin kernels, unsweetened dried cranberries, cracked pepper, and additional coconut milk if desired
Directions:
Heat coconut oil in heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium low heat
Add apples, garlic, and onion and cook over low heat covered for 10 minutes (stirring occassionally), until vegetables and apples are tender and fragrant
Remove from heat
Use a high speed blender to combine pumpkin purée and cooked vegetables/apples until smooth. Slowly add in the vegetable broth as you blend
Return mixture to heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven and heat over medium low heat, stirring in seasonings and coconut millk
Serve hot or cold with your favorite toppings, or none at all
Note: Makes 6 large servings, or 8 small servings
