Best Curried Pumpkin Soup — The Twenty-Two-Days-Remaining Sunday

Cody is on day six hundred and forty-eight. Twenty-two days remaining. The first frost was Tuesday morning. The maple in the Hendersons’ yard is mostly bare. Curried pumpkin soup Sunday from a Cookie and Kate recipe. A small pie pumpkin halved and roasted, scooped, blended in the Instant Pot with sauteed onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, coconut milk, vegetable broth. Finished with a touch of maple syrup. Topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and a swirl of cream.

The math: a pie pumpkin $1.99, an onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, coconut milk $1.79, vegetable broth from bouillon. Total: about $4.40 for a pot that fed Mama and me for three meals.

The technique is the roast-then-blend. Halve the pumpkin, scoop the seeds, brush with oil, roast cut-side-down at 400 for forty minutes until tender. Scoop the flesh into the Instant Pot with the aromatics. Pressure cook ten minutes. Blend with the stick blender. Stir in coconut milk and maple syrup off the heat.

Mama said, eating, baby, this tastes like Indian fall.

The recipe is below. The trick is the pie pumpkin (the small sweet kind, not the big jack-o-lantern kind) and the roast-then-blend.

Best Curried Pumpkin Soup

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 cans (15 oz each) pure pumpkin puree
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or brown sugar
• Pepitas and fresh thyme, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Sauté the aromatics. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
2. Bloom the spices. Stir in the curry powder, ginger, nutmeg, and cayenne (if using). Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant and coat the onion mixture.
3. Add pumpkin and broth. Stir in the pumpkin puree and broth until fully combined. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
4. Blend until smooth. Using an immersion blender directly in the pot, blend the soup until completely smooth and velvety. Alternatively, carefully transfer in batches to a countertop blender, venting the lid to release steam.
5. Finish with cream and seasoning. Stir in the heavy cream and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently for 5 more minutes — do not boil after adding cream.
6. Serve. Ladle into bowls and finish each with a swirl of cream, a few pepitas, and a sprig of fresh thyme if you have it. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 380mg