Creamy, Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Soup

My love affair with Roasted Pumpkin Soup began in 2010; when I had it twice in quick succession in Florence, Italy and then at the Eberbach Abbey in Germany.

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In 2010, my friend Jyothi and I planned a spur-of-the-moment 10-day vacation to Northern Italy covering Rome, Florence, Pisa, Cinque Terre, and Venice.

We did quite a lot of walking on this trip to explore various nooks and corners. One day, when we were at the Basilica di Santa Croce around lunch time, we went hunting for a place that serves vegetarian food. Just to the left of the Basilica is a small lane that has a cozy restaurant whose owners promised us some veggie delights; among them Pumpkin Soup and Vegetarian Lasagna.

The Lasagna was very good, but we were floored by the Pumpkin Soup. It had been drizzling the whole day and was quite chilly. So the hearty, spicy, thick Pumpkin Soup with crisp rolls and butter on the side was very welcome. It warmed us to the very cockles of our tired, frozen hearts, and infused a new spring in the step. 🙂

At the end of the Italy trip, Jyo flew back to India, while I went on to Wiesbaden, Germany to speak at a conference. The day I landed at Wiesbaden, I had nothing much on my agenda and so went along for a trip to the awesome Kloster Eberbach or Eberbach Abbey with another Indian delegate and our German host. It is in the Abbey’s restaurant that I had the Roasted Pumpkin Soup for the second time, this time with a side of fresh green salad with a honey-vinegar dressing! Absolutely yumm….

The first thing I did on coming back from the trip was to look up a recipe for a Roasted Pumpkin Soup.

While many recipes use Coconut Milk or Fresh Cream to add a richness to the soup, I found that Pumpkin is rich enough and does not need any more richness. Also, this simplest of recipes retains the sweetish flavour of the pumpkin and the onion in it adds to the sweetness.

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Recipe for a Creamy, Silky, Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Soup

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Creamy, Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Aruna

This is perhaps the simplest recipe for a Creamy, Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Soup. Most other recipes I saw called for cream or coconut milk, but I used neither and still got a silky smooth Pumpkin Soup.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine European

Servings 2 People

Calories 196 kcal

Equipment

• Heavy Bottomed Vessel
• Blender
• Oven
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 500 gms Pumpkin
• 1 Cup Sliced Onion
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 2.5 Cups Water (Vegetable Stock, if you have it)
• 3 tsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Ground Pepper
• 2 tbsp Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Optional)
• Salt to Taste

Instructions

 

Roast the Pumpkin

• Preheat an oven to 150 C and putting it in the roasting/grilling mode.
• From 500 gms of pumpkin, remove the seeds and soft stringy part of the pumpkin.
• Cut the pumpkin into large chunks. Do not peel the pumpkin at this stage.
• Place the pumpkin pieces in a baking tray.
• Drizzle 2 tsp of oil olive and toss the pieces so that they are evenly coated with the oil.
• Ensure that pumpkin pieces are placed such that the flesh is touching the tray and the side with the skin is on the side.
• Roast the pumpkin till the pieces brown a bit and are soft. It took me about 30 minutes. I also flipped the pumpkin pieces to ensure even cooking.
• Take the tray out of the oven and let the pieces cool.
• Using a knife slice the skin off the roasted pumpkin pieces.
• Using a fork, gently press the pumpkin pieces to lightly mash them.

Getting the Onion Ready (I do this while the pumpkin is cooling)

• In a heavy bottomed pan, over medium flame, heat 1 tsp of oil.
• Add 1 cup sliced onions and 4 garlic cloves.
• Stir-fry till the onion is translucent.

Making the Roasted Pumpkin Soup

• Transfer the fried onions, garlic, and the roasted pumpkin to a blender.
• Add some salt and 1/2 tsp pepper powder.
• Blend to a thick paste.
• Add 2.5 cups water and blend to a thick puree.
• Transfer the soup to a cooking pot.
• Add water as required to adjust consistency. Pumpkin Soup should be thick and just slightly thinner than a puree.
• Add salt and pepper, if needed, and mix well.
• Bring the soup to a boil.
• Take off the heat.
• Serve the hot Roasted Pumpkin Soup after garnishing with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Notes

Ensure that your pumpkin is ripe and orange in colour. The pale yellow pumpkin does not have much flavour.

Nutrition

Calories: 196 kcalCarbohydrates: 27 gProtein: 5 gFat: 10 gSaturated Fat: 2 gSodium: 35 mgPotassium: 1030 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 10 gVitamin A: 21283 IUVitamin C: 30 mgCalcium: 91 mgIron: 3 mg

Keyword Gluten Free, Pumpkin Soup, Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tried this recipe?Do let me know how you liked it @aahaaram or tag #aahaaram!

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How to Make Creamy, Vegan Roasted Pumpkin Soup

1. Choosing the Pumpkin
   1. Choose a pumpkin that is ripe and orange. Such a pumpkin has a rich and sweet flavour. If the Pumpkin is not ripe (pale orange or yellow) then this soup will lack a depth of flavour.
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2. Roast the Pumpkin
   1. Preheat an oven to 150 C and putting it in the roasting/grilling mode.
   2. From 500 gms of pumpkin, remove the seeds and soft stringy part in the centre of the pumpkin.
   3. Cut the pumpkin into large 2″ chunks. You can even cut the pumpkin into thick slices. Do not peel the pumpkin at this stage.
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   4. Place the pumpkin pieces in a baking tray.
   5. Drizzle 2 tsp of oil olive and toss the pieces so that they are evenly coated with the oil.
   6. Ensure that pumpkin pieces are placed such that the flesh is touching the tray and the side with the skin is on the side. This will help the pumpkin pieces to roast well.
   7. Place the tray in the pre-heated oven. 
   8. Roast the pumpkin till the pieces brown a bit and are soft. It took me about 30 minutes. I also flipped the pieces after 15 minutes to ensure even roasting.
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   9. Take the tray out of the oven and let the pieces cool.
   10. After the pumpkin has cooled, use a sharp knife to slice the skin off the roasted pumpkin pieces.
   11. Using a fork, gently press the pumpkin pieces to lightly mash them.
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3. Getting the Onion Ready
   1. In a heavy bottomed pot, over medium flame, heat 1 tsp of oil.
   2. Add 1 cup sliced onions and 6 garlic cloves. 
   3. Stir-fry till the onion is translucent.
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4. Making the Roasted Pumpkin Soup
   1. Transfer the fried onions, garlic, and the roasted pumpkin to a blender.
   2. Add some salt and 1/2 tsp pepper powder.
   3. Blend to a thick paste.
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   4. Now add 2.5 cups water and blend to a thick puree.
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   5. Transfer the soup to a cooking pot.
   6. Add some water as required to adjust consistency. Pumpkin Soup should be thick and just slightly thinner than a puree.
   7. Add salt and pepper, if needed, and mix well.
   8. Bring the soup to a boil.
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   9. Take off the heat.
5. Serve the hot Roasted Pumpkin Soup after garnishing with roasted pumpkin seeds.

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I had first posted this recipe in August 2013, and have now updated it with a recipe card and new photos. 🙂