Thai Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

Wow...Welcome to Fall!  In Taos, N.M. the nights have already begun to drop into the mid 30s.  I picked up a little head cold last week and have been craving soup. Warming, delicious soup.  So when I saw it was pumpkin week at Food Network's Fall Fest I knew exactly what to make.

I love using pumpkin in savory dishes.  Of course I am a big fan of sweet pumpkin dishes too...pies, cakes, cookies, pudding....but this winter squash is equally good when used in soups and stews, pasta dishes, roasted and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil...numerous options.  Today I combined pumpkin puree with coconut and spices to create the perfect Fall soup.  Just what the Doctor ordered!

Thai Pumpkin & Coconut Soup
(serves 6 as a main course)
Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup white onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp cilantro plus more for garnish
2 tbsp fresh lemongrass, chopped, plus more for garnish
32 oz box organic vegetable broth
2 15 oz each cans organic pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), or fresh
1 1/2 cups coconut milk (from the dairy case, not canned)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

Heat large stock pot over medium high heat.  Add 2 tbsp olive oil to pot along with the onion, carrots and celery. Saute 7 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add garlic and continue cooking for an additional 30 seconds. Add 2 tbsp cilantro, 2 tbsp lemongrass and the vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender*, puree ingredients until smooth. Return pot to stove over medium low heat. Add pumpkin and coconut milk, stirring until combined. Add red pepper flakes, agave, ginger, coconut, salt and ground pepper. Use the immersion blender to puree soup to desired consistency. ( I like the texture from the coconut in my soup). Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. I think this soup tastes best the day after you make it.  Refrigerate after making. Gently warm over medium low heat until hot.

Serve in large bowls garnished with reserved cilantro, lemon grass and pumpkin seeds.
* You can use a regular blender if you don't have an immersion. Just let the soup cool down a bit before blending and be very, very careful!

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It is "pumpkin" week at Food Network's Fall fest. Check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends.  Have a favorite pumpkin recipe of your own? Please share in the comments section of this post. 
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Thai Pumpkin and Coconut Soup
Red or Green: Pizza with Red Chile Pumpkin Sauce, Black Beans and Fresh Corn
Devour: Easy Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Feed Me Phoebe: Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Soup
Virtually Homemade: Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino
Weelicious: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
The Lemon Bowl: Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese with Pumpkin
The Heritage Cook: Chile-Pumpkin Hummus
Dishing: Pumpkin Browns/ Pumpkin Hash Browns
In Jennie's Kitchen: Pumpkin Scones
Cooking With Elise: Hearty Pumpkin Pasta
And Love It Too: Paleo Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Blue Apron Blog: Baked Pumpkin Stuffed with Millet and Caponata
Dishin & Dishes: Pumpkin Pancakes with Maple Cinnamon Pecan Syrup
Domesticate Me: Harvest Pumpkin Soup with Candied Bacon
The Sensitive Epicure: Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Pumpkin Seed Brittle
FN Dish: Cook Pumpkin from the Patch


best,
diane

napa farmhouse 1885
red or green?
california girl in taos
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