"Farewell to Fall" Vegan Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Sweet and Savory Vegan Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Savor fall with this quick and easy pumpkin soup.

So this weekend I looked up and realized it was the end of October. That means, in today’s world, the merriment and commercial fanfare of Christmas and other winter festivities should soon be arriving . . . well, they’ve already arrived, and will only be getting louder and shinier as we approach November 1. As a last-minute send-off to my favorite season, Fall, I made the quickest and easiest version of a sure-to-impress–and satisfy–dish: Pumpkin Soup.

My last attempt at pumpkin soup resulted in orange mush dripping all over most surfaces in my kitchen (don’t ask), so I radically simplified this recipe. There’s no blending or special tools required. It’s so easy that if you stock up on some autumnal produce while it’s still available and make a few batches, you might be able to keep the taste of fall around for a while–at least well through November.

“Farewell to Fall” Vegan Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 can pure pumpkin

1 T. white miso

2 T. tahini

2 cloves garlic, grated/mashed

2 T. cinnamon, plus more for garnish

1 T. nutmeg

2 T. rosemary, plus more for garnish

4 cups vegetable broth

1 T. maple syrup (optional)

1. Fill a large sauce pan with just enough water to cover the cubed potatoes; bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until very soft.

2. Drain water, and in the same pot (off heat) mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the pumpkin, miso, tahini, and garlic, and mash until blended.

3. Return to low heat and add spices, stirring to blend well. Slowly add the broth and stir to mix in.* Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes to heat through and thicken. If you like some extra sweetness, add the syrup at the end, just before serving. Top with extra cinnamon and rosemary to taste.

Serves 4-5.

*This soup is perhaps thinner than most varieties I’ve had–I find that it feels less like baby food this way, but if you prefer a thicker soup you can reduce the amount of broth and/or add more pumpkin or potato. Likewise, adding a scoop of another grain (barley, quinoa, or sorghum would work) will add some texture and thickness.