As you can see, I’m still in full-on pumpkin mode, and I’m totally okay with it. Craving pumpkin spice lattes by day, and pumpkin soups by night – I’m a pumpkin fiend!
I came home from work one chilly Autumn evening craving a nice, hot soup. I needed it to be fragrant and filling, and I wanted it to be ready in 20 minutes or less. I remember thinking that I had some leftover pumpkin purée in the fridge from baking, and thought I’d whip up a quick pumpkin soup that would either taste horrible or amazing. I was up to the challenge.
Lucky for me, my perfectly spiced pumpkin bisque was both creamy and comforting, savoury and filling. It was 100% vegan but tasted like the richness of a cream-based soup. The secret to this dairy-free creaminess? You guessed it — coconut milk!
NOTE: You have to buy organic full-fat coconut milk for this to work as the light stuff simply won’t do. I suggest even using coconut cream if you can find it. The coconut milk works so well in the soup because it blends seamlessly but also adds thickness, creaminess and a very subtle fragrance in the soup itself.
The best part? This soup cost me about $4 to make, and I had leftovers for the next day! The recipe serves two, but if you’re usually eating for one like me, then it’s easily two meals. For $4! Win.
Cook up this sweet and savoury fall soup and serve with toasted bread on the side. Or get creative with your toppings and add some pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or roasted chickpeas for added crunch and flavour.
Vegan Pumpkin Bisque
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Ingredients
1 shallot, diced 3 cloves garlic, pressed/diced 3/4 cup organic pumpkin purée 1.5 cups organic vegetable broth (add 2 cups for a thinner soup) 1/2 cup coconut milk/cream 1/3 cup coconut cream (optional; but adds thickness/creaminess) 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup 1 tbsp. coconut oil 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. cinnamon Dash of dried thyme
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, sauté shallot and garlic in coconut oil over medium heat until lightly browned.
- Add vegetable brothe and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and thyme.
- Once broth has simmered, stir in pumpkin purée. Simmer for another 5 minutes and stir in coconut milk. Add maple syrup and continue to cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add in 1 cup of soup at a time to a blender so as to not overflow. Blend soup with remaining 1/3 cup of coconut cream (for thickness and a creamier soup).
- Blend until entirety of soup is smooth (to desired consistency).
- Pour into separate bowls and top with coconut cream and pumpkin seeds (optional).
