Red Curry Almond Pumpkin Soup - You'll Love It!

By Jennifer Little

Even though we’ve had a warm fall here in Colorado, winter is finally in the air. This Thanksgiving week, all I want are warm, nurturing soups and stews to fill my belly for lunch and dinner. As I peek out my window and watch the light snow fall to the ground, all I want is to throw another log on the fire, curl up with a good book and warm my hands — and belly — with a bowl of pumpkin deliciousness.

For this month’s Healthy Treat, I’ve created a comforting pumpkin bisque. My next door neighbor has the most beautiful organic garden and every fall she has a bounty of pumpkins, so I asked her to share a pumpkin with me for this soup. The apple and potatoes create a thick, lustrous texture. The coconut milk adds the most beautiful creamy finish. And the red curry completes the experience with a tiny bit of fire. I know you’ll be in heaven with your first taste!

This soup works perfectly as a light lunch on Thanksgiving day or as an appetizer before your Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone will also love any leftovers throughout the weekend. Enjoy the taste and smell of pumpkin in this bowl of perfection — see recipe and instructions below — and I wish you and your family a lovely Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 small sweet onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 tiny Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cubed

3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

2 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock

1 cup coconut milk

15 ounces fresh roasted pumpkin, pureed

3 tablespoons smooth almond butter

1 teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

Chopped fresh mint, to serve

Roasting the Pumpkin

Cut a small pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Place the pumpkin face down in a glass casserole dish with 1/4″ of water. Roast on 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven, scoop out the meat and puree in food processor. Add vegetable or chicken stock for a smoother consistency.

Making the Soup

Heat the olive oil over medium in a large sauce pan. Add onions and cook until translucent and tender. Add garlic, potatoes, apple and curry paste while stirring constantly for about three minutes. Add the stock and coconut oil and increase the heat to high.

Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and let the soup cook until the potatoes are very tender (about 20 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat and add pumpkin paste and almond butter. Add the soup to the food processor in about three batches and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with mint.