Yesterday it was abnormally cloudy, windy, and cool - enough so that we were still wearing sweatpants and long sleeves at 11am! That has never happened in our more than three years on this island.
Anyway, it was optimal weather for finally truly relaxing and doing nothing for the first time in weeks! We spent the morning sipping tea and Morning Magic Milk, reading books, and cleaning up a little here and there while dancing. We even took a family nap like 3 spoons, for which almost-3-year-old Ollie willing climbed into my arms and simply fell asleep for the FIRST. TIME. EVER. (For real, this kid does not like to sleep.).
And then, we were hungry, and as tempting as going out to eat for lunch was, nothing sounded better than pumpkin soup. This is a simple recipe, made even simpler with a handheld immersion blender (but a regular blender will do.) It was inspired by and only adapted slightly from the Minimalist Baker's recipe. I love her so much.
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 cups pumpkin purée (made by roasting a small calabaza (pumpkin) in the oven on 400 for an hour. Alternatively, you can cut the raw pumpkin into pieces and boil in the pot with the cooking water, but roasting makes it easier to cut and also gives it flavor.)
- 1 yellow sweet onion, diced - about 1/2 cup
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 cups coconut milk (almond milk will do, too)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or agave or honey)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg
DIRECTIONS:
1. Roast pumpkin. Here in Puerto Rico, calabazas are available in many sizes all year round. In other regions, you might look for sugar pumpkins or butternut squash. Cut into just a few large sections, scrape away seeds and stringy flesh, and rub oil on all exposed pumpkin faces. Roast on 400 for 45-60 minutes, until a fork easily pierces the flesh and it can be easily scooped with a spoon.
2. In a large pot, simmer onion and garlic with coconut oil over medium heat, until translucent. Stir frequently so that the onion doesn't burn.
3. Add spices and just a sprinkle of water and stir actively for a minute, to warm and open the spices.
4. Add 4 cups of water as well as the coco milk, syrup, and pumpkin.
5. Cook just until hot.
6. At this point, you can either use a handheld immersion blender (like this one) or you can transfer soup to a blender in small batches. I used to use the regular blender, but I finally got an immersion blender cut out 10-15 minutes of time and mess, and I love it.
VOILA! Taste and season additionally if you so desire.
I also usually make kale chips as a side and a garnish because they are just a delicious pairing with this soup and provide some crunch to your meal. I simply massage the kale with my Liquid Gold dressing (we're working on getting good shippable containers for it for those of you who've asked to purchase it!) but you can just use coco oil, salt and pepper, too. Roast at 350 for 15 minutes. So. Good. They never last more than 2 minutes out of the oven - no exaggerations.
