Creamy Pumpkin and Camembert Soup
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil,
1 large pumpkin
1 large onion, chopped
4 large or 6 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
Tiny dash of cayenne pepper (optional, if you like spice)
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
½ cup full fat coconut milk or heavy cream
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
¼ cup (pumpkin seeds)
Camembert (optional)
Instructions
1 Preheat oven to 220 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Carefully halve the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and discard.
2 Cut up Pumpkin. Brush or rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over the flesh of the pumpkin and place the quarters, cut sides down, onto the baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes or longer, until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
3 Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add onion, garlic and salt to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, peel the pumpkin skin off the pumpkins and discard the skin.
4 Add the pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper (if using), and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Use your stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit. Pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
5 While the soup is cooking, toast the pumpkin seeds in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, golden and making little popping noises. You want them to be nice and toasty, but not burnt. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
6 Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly. You can use an immersion blender to blend this soup in the pot. I prefer to use my stand blender, which yields the creamiest results—working in batches, transfer the contents of the pan to a blender (do not fill your blender past the maximum fill line!). Securely fasten the blender’s lid and use a kitchen towel to protect your hand from steam escaping from the top of the blender as you purée the mixture until smooth. Transfer the puréed soup to a serving bowl and repeat with the remaining batches.
7 Taste and adjust if necessary (I thought the soup was just right as is, but you might want to add more coconut milk for extra creaminess/milder flavor, or maple syrup to make it a little sweeter).
8 Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle pepitas over the soup and serve. Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day!). Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.
9 For an extra special soup, add a slice of Camembert and stir!
Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
2 cups vegetable broth
3 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 large carrot, julienned or finely chopped
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 heaping cups
Homemade croutons, for serving, optional
Instructions
1 Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the flour turns golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously.
2 Add the broth, broccoli, carrot, and mustard and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender.
3 Gradually add the cheese, stirring after each addition, until all the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy. Season to taste and serve with croutons, if desired.