Pumpkin Soup

By ladygourmet

A complex blend of flavors creates a singular pumpkin soup. Ginger, cilantro, turmeric and more will surprise your taste buds and have you begging for more!

Ingredients

• For the Croutons:
• 1 medium onion – diced
• 2 stalks of celery – chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic – chopped
• 2 inch piece of ginger – chopped fine
• 1 small jalapeño – chopped with seeds
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 tbs. sesame oil
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 15 oz. can of black beans – drained
• 1/4 cup of cilantro - chopped
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• Dollop of sour cream for garnish
• Drizzle of honey for garnish
• Day old Italian bread – about 1/2 a loaf
• 2-3 tbs. Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic powder

Preparation

Step 1

For the Soup:
Heat a sauce pot.
Add the olive oil, sesame oil, ginger, onion, jalapeño, celery and garlic. Let these veggies sauté until the ginger and garlic are fragrant.
Add the pumpkin purée, lemon juice, cilantro and the broth. Simmer on a low heat and add the drained beans and the seasonings.
Simmer the soup on low for at least 20 – 30 minutes. Taste the soup to adjust your seasonings.
When you are ready to serve; ladle the soup into a bowl; top with the croutons, dollop of sour cream, drizzle of honey and a few cilantro leaves.

For the Croutons:
Cut up day old Italian bread into bite sized pieces.
Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over the bread. Season the bread with dashes of each seasoning and toss.
Heat a large frying pan and toss the bread in the pan to get a little golden color.
Set the croutons aside for the soup.