Ginger Miso Pumpkin Soup
As I pulled into the grocery store parking lot still undecided about my dinner plans, I saw a young boy and his father walk by, each carrying a pumpkin. Inspired, I bought one too and went home to make soup. For this recipe I used a seeded, peeled pumpkin but you could use another kind of squash such as butternut or red kuri. For simplicity you can even use canned pumpkin purée. Just make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling which is sweetened. If you want more heat, don’t cut the whitish ribs off the inside of the chile pepper and maybe even add another one. Additionally, you can add ½ lb. of diced raw prawns after you blend the soup in step 5. To make it vegan or vegetarian skip the shrimp and use vegetable stock.
Don’t forget to save the seeds from the squash for a tasty and nutritious roasted snack or topping for the soup. Pumpkin seeds aren’t the only seeds you can roast (i.e. butternut, kuri, or acorn squash, to name a few). Just rinse the squash seeds and leave them to dry on a paper towel for 20-30 minutes. Make sure they are dry, because if the seeds are wet the oil and salt will not stick to them. Once dry, toss the seeds with some neutral oil, and a bit of kosher salt. Cook on a baking sheet for about 10/15 minutes in a 350° oven.
Ginger Miso Pumpkin Soup
2 cups yellow onion coarsely chopped
1” ginger root chopped in 5 or six round slices
4 garlic cloves peeled
4 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola oil
4 cups peeled and diced pumpkin, butternut squash or pumpkin purée (see note below if using purée)
1 red chile seeded, ribbed and diced
1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and coriander
½ teaspoon turmeric
4-6 tablespoons white miso
5 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
6-7 oz reduced fat coconut milk
Photo by Lucy Alexander
1. Add 1 cup of the chopped onions to a food processor along with the garlic and the ginger. Cover and pulse 4 or 5 times. Now with the machine running add the water. You want the mixture to have the consistency of a paste. If it is still a bit chunky add a ½ tablespoon more water.
2. Warm oil in a large stock pot, add the remaining cup of onions to the pot along with the diced pumpkin or butternut squash (see note below if using the puree´) and the diced chile stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion starts to soften.
3. Slowly stir in the garlic ginger paste— be aware that the paste will splatter a bit so be cautious. Continue to stir the mixture for 3 minutes; now add in the spices.
4. Stir for another minute until the vegetables start to smell fragrant. Pour in the stock.
5. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat to a medium simmer and cook until the pumpkin is soft, about 20/25 minutes. With an immersion blender, purée the soup. Add the coconut milk and 4 tablespoons of the miso. Cook for another 10 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally until the miso is incorporated. Taste and adjust; if desired add more miso and/or coconut milk.
NOTE: If using pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling) buy a 1lb can. Add it to the soup in step three along with the spices (cumin, coriander and turmeric).
Photo by Lucy Alexander