Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

I love soup!  Always have, and I always will.  Whenever I eat out, I most often choose soup over salad.  I should qualify that statement though.  I'm picky, and I'm not going to choose a generic soup.  I'm not going to choose chicken noodle, or even a tomato bisque over a glorious house made Caesar Salad with homemade croutons, and dressing.  BUT I will be persuaded away from that perfect salad by interesting soup options.  Tempt me with a homemade cream of mushroom, or a pumpkin or butternut squash soup.  How about a spicy black bean soup.  If it's out of the ordinary and something I can't get in a little red Campbell's Soup can, I'm in!  Homemade is the key word here.  I won't bother if it's out of a bag, or can.  You know the kind of places you can count on for a good homemade soup.  

In my little garden this summer I planted a small patch of Sugar Pie Pumpkins.  They are absolutely perfectly sized for making 2 pies, or in this case I big pot of soup.  Each pumpkin produces approximately 30 oz. of pumpkin flesh!  Yum!  I saw a recipe on Pinterest the other day that combined some of my favorite flavors together.  Coconut milk, curry, along with the pumpkin.  Interesting, and tasty.  I decided to try my hand at my version of this soup.  I

sometimes like a little more sweetness to my recipes so therefore you'll notice the addition of a couple of apples.  It's good, and it worked perfectly:)  If you need a Sugar Pie Pumpkin to roast just give me a call.  I've got a small trailer loaded.  Or a 30 oz. can will work just fine.

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or any oil you have on hand.)
• 1  onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 apples peeled and cored and roughly chopped.  I used Gala.  Choose a sweet apple variety.
• 1 tablespoons curry paste (I used a yellow curry paste.  If you don't have paste, curry powder can be used.  It will be a little different, but close enough.  Curry paste comes in red, yellow and green colors and any will work.)
• 1/2 t. ground ginger
• 4-5 cups low-sodium Chicken broth
• 1 30 oz. can of pumpkin puree or the flesh of 1 Sugar Pie Pumpkin cooked
• here's a link on how to roast a pumpkin
• 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/8 c. sugar
• Cilantro or fresh parsley for garnish
• Pepitas or pumpkin seeds for garnish
• Cream or sour cream drizzle for garnish

directions:

Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add coconut oil. Once it's melted, add in the onions and the garlic, and apples with a pinch of salt and stir. Cook until the onions and apples are soft. About 5 minutes. Add in the ginger and curry paste and stir until it is incorporated. Cook the curry and onion mixture for a few minutes.  Add the pumpkin puree. Pour in the broth.  Start with 3 c. and add more later if needed. You can add more for a thinner soup, or less for a thicker soup.    Cover the pot and bring the ingredients to a boil.  Let bubble away for 5- 10 minute or until all the veggies are real tender.  It's easier to blend.  I have an immersion blender that I can blend my soup in the pot.  If not, work in batches and place the soup in a blender and blend until smooth.

 Add in the coconut milk, sugar, salt and pepper, and stir. Cover and cook the soup for 10 minutes until it's completely warm. Taste and season additionally if desired. Garnish with cilantro or parsley, and pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of cream.  

recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats

Pumpkin Pie (Made with a real pumpkin!)

Those little pumpkins are the one's I roasted to make these pies.  They're perfectly sized.
And just so you know.  Those pumpkins and wheat stalks are the extent of my fall decorating:)

*Just a quick note here.  My pumpkin pie post was linked to, from the Gourmet Live blog!  I'm flattered:)


I have a weakness.   I love walking through Costco!  I especially love walking through Costco around late Sept. early Oct. and spying the enormous Pumpkin Pies in the bakery dept.  And they're cheap.  Even in Hawaii they are cheap.  Like $5.95 for a huge pie.  And my dear friends, the crust may not be spectacular, but the pie is lovely.  My family can do some serious damage to a pumpkin pie in no time at all.

Another confession.  I will now make all of my pumpkin stuff with real pumpkins.  Next summer my entire garden is going to be planted in adorable Sugar Pie Pumpkins.   I'm going to have a huge pumpkin patch.  I love those perfectly sized pumpkins!  I have bought a few of them the last few weeks, and my word, they make the best Pumpkin Pies.  They even beat Costco's!  Add a homemade pie crust, and there is nothing better in the world.  I've made 4 of these in 2 days.  My family has only eaten 2, and the other two were given away.  One to my perfect neighbor who has taken my garbage out for me the last 2 weeks.  And I'll bet he's done it many more times without me noticing.  He's really nice.  I hope you all have a neighbor like George.   I will totally share a pie with perfect neighbors.

Each one of the lovely little Sugar Pie pumpkins pictured above makes 2-  9inch pumpkin pies.  I follow the Libby Pumpkin Pie recipe, but substitute 1 cooked Sugar Pie pumpkin for a 29 oz. can of pumpkin.  It works perfectly every time.  So enjoy your pumpkin pie my friends.  I keep telling myself I'm just practicing making these pies so they'll be perfect by Thanksgiving Day.  Who am I kidding?  Let them eat pie!  Every day!

How to roast a Sugar Pie Pumpkin

 This is easy!  Piece of cake or easy as pie:)  I preheat my oven to 375'F and put the whole pumpkin on a cookie sheet.  I don't wash it, or cut it or scoop the seeds out.  Just plop the whole thing in the oven.  Let the pumpkin bake for about 30-40 minutes.  It may start to leak a little and when you touch the pumpkin it will feel tender to the touch.  Take the pumpkin out and let sit until cooled.  After it has cooled I take a big knife and cut the pumpkin in half.  Scoop out the seeds and discard them or you can always save them to roast later.  Then scoop the flesh from inside the pumpkin.  It should be very easy. You can almost just peel the skin off.  If your pumpkin is a little stringy, no worries.  I mix the pumpkin pie filling together, and then either blend it with a blender or stick an immersion blender in to smooth the filling out.  Give this a try!  You'll be pleased with how it turns out:)

 Pumpkin Pie

make 2- 9 inch pies

recipe adapted from Libby's

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

4 large eggs

1 29 oz. can  Pumpkin or the flesh of 1 roasted Sugar Pie Pumpkin

2 can (12 fl. oz.)  Evaporated Milk

2 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, and ginger in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 375' F oven for 75 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving. 

Here's my favorite pie crust!

(this makes enough for 4 single pies, 2 double crusted pies, or 2 Galettes.)

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c shortening

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt 

1 egg

1/4-1/3 c. water

1 T. vinegar

3 T. cornstarch

Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar.  Cut in shortening.  I actually like to use Manteca Lard  a lot of the times.  My sisters friend Makita gave us this tip a few years ago and it make delicious pie crust!  Mix egg, cold water, and vinegar.  Blend into flour mixture until it forms a ball.  Try to handle the dough as little as possible.  Makes 4 single pie crusts.  I always make the whole recipe.  If I have dough left over I just plop the dough ball into a Ziploc and put it into the freezer.  All you have to do is thaw and roll when needed.