Pumpkin coconut soup with walnut gremolata

Pumpkin coconut soup with walnut gremolata – delicious, heart-warming pumpkin soup, with crunchy, garlicky topping of toasted walnuts and coconut – it’s fall comfort food in its best. 

November 1st brought cold and rain.  It literally happened overnight, and we went from wearing short sleeves on Halloween night, to wrapping ourselves in our warmest winter clothes the next day.  Three weeks later, and I still can’t seem to adapt to the weather – I’m constantly freezing, and brewing tea to keep warm.  But I kinda like it.  I like the rhythm of every season, and the change it brings.  Change is good.  Even if it means cold and dark.   It helps us to somewhat readjust our perspective, and appreciate the warm months that follow even more (although wearing cute winter boots and sweaters is part of the cold weather charm too).

The good thing about the cold also, is that it forces us to slow down a bit, and think about comfort – from fuzzy socks and cozy fireplaces, to pumpkin lattes and delicious, home-cooked food, we are all thinking about warmth for our souls and bellies.

Today’s post is all about this.  It’s a simple and quick soup, with warm spices and mildly sweet taste. It’s your old acquaintance – the pumpkin soup.   Nothing is more soothing to me at this tine, than a bowl of hot pumpkin soup.  I’ve been making batch after batch of this soup, and can’t get enough.

If you have some left over mini pumpkins from Halloween, you can re-purpose them as serving bowls.  Put them in the fridge so they can last a little longer, and make this soup a festive dish – definitely worthy of your Thanksgiving table!

I had some sweet dumpling squashes that I bought as decoration for Halloween, and I used them for the bowls.  For the soup, I always use red kuri pumpkin or kabocha pumpkin – they have a dry, dense flesh, and a sweet buttery taste which results in a richer, creamier and more flavorful soup.   If you have a regular pumpkin or butternut squash, I would say, use more of the coconut milk/cream in place of the water to get the same creaminess.

You can even roast your pumpkin the day before, and the soup will be ready literally in minutes.

I don’t go overboard with spices here, as I make it kid friendly, but you can definitely add your favorite hot pepper for an extra kick.  The topping is so good you might want to double the quantity.  My kids ate it straight with a spoon before I even put it on top of the soup.

So sit back, inhale the aroma, and let this pumpkin soup work its magic on you!

And if you need more pumpkin in your life, here are a few other ideas:
Pumpkin coconut bread with spiced pecan pumpkin butter {gluten-free and vegan}
Roasted delicata squash, almond-crusted, coconut and garlic flavored, and served with grilled queso panela cheese.
Stuffed pumpkin with bacon, leeks and scallops.

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Pumpkin Coconut Soup with Walnut Gremolata

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Pumpkin coconut soup with walnut gremolata - delicious, heart-warming pumpkin soup, with crunchy, garlicky topping of toasted walnuts and coconut - it's fall comfort food in its best.

Course: Soup

Servings: 4

Calories: 360 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tsp ginger freshly grated
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp garam masala or replace with more cinnamon
• 1 lbs red kuri or kabocha pumpkin
• 1 cup coconut milk
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup walnuts toasted
• 1/4 cup toasted coconut
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp garam masala or cinnamon

Instructions

1. Saute the onion in the coconut oil for a few minutes until it's soft.
2. Add the minced garlic, ginger, cinnamon, garam masala, coriander and turmeric and stir for a minute.
3. Add pumpkin pieces and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil
4. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes until pumpkin is fork tender
5. Add coconut milk and remove from heat
6. Blend in a food processor or blender until creamy, and adjust seasoning if necessary
7. To make the gremolata: toast the walnuts and coconut in the oven at 250°F for 10 minutes, watching them closely. In a mortar, crush the garlic clove, and add the coconut flakes and garam masala (cinnamon). Crush until they release their aroma, then add the walnut pieces and crush some more until you get a bread crumb consistency.
8. Sprinkle the gremolata on top of the soup, and serve.