The cold weather has finally arrived. Yup. It's here in full force. Below 0C every night.
Although this means that summer is finally over (sigh), it also means that I can legitimately start making soups for dinner every night. Yum. Here is a recipe for a new-found favorite: pumpkin spice soup. Inspired by the good folks at the Moosewood Restaurant, I have made a few alterations to their Tunisian Pumpkin Soup recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Soup (with fresh spice topping, for good measure):
Inspired by the Moosewood Restaurant
+ 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
+ 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
+ 2 medium onions (about 2 cups), chopped
+ 2 cups canned pumpkin
+ 2 tbsp olive oil
+ 3 cups water
+ 1/2 cup tomato juice
+ 1 cup real unsweetened apple juice
+ 1 tsp salt
+ 1/2 tsp paprika
+ 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
+ 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
+ 1 tsp ground cumin
In a soup pot, saute the onions until they are translucent (8-10 minutes). Add the parsnips, carrots and salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Then add the water, tomato juice, apple juice. Let this simmer until the vegetables are cooked (about 15 minutes). Add the pumpkin, make sure it is properly mixed in and then blend (I used an immersion blender, but a regular blender would work fine, as well).
Fresh spice topping:
Inspired by the Moosewood Restaurant
+ 2 tbsp olive oil
+ 1 tsp crushed garlic
+ 2 tsp ground corriander
+ 1/4 tsp cayenne
+ 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
+ 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
+ 1/8 tsp salt
Saute the crushed garlic in oil for about 1 minute. Add the coriander and cayenne. Stir constantly until it bubbles (about another minute). With the mixture off the heat, add the fresh lemon juice, cilantro and salt. Drop a heaping teaspoon into the pumpkin spice soup for a flavor overload (in a good way)
