Pumpkin Soup with Balsamic & Rosemary Croutons

Hiya!

Hope you all had a fantastic Halloween!!  I’m sure everyone has had their share of treats!?!  Today I’ll bring you something from the vault.   This is THE BEST pumpkin soup I know of! __________________________________________________________________

It is officially fall, there is no denying it now! The air is crisp, the leaves are turning colors, Christmas commercials are beginning to flooding the airwaves and Starbucks has re-launched their infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte. You can’t get much more fall than that! Fall for me is time for the summer clothes to be packed away, time to send the patio furniture to its winter home, and best of all it’s time to start hunting for the perfect pumpkin at the pumpkin patch!

Pumpkins are so versatile; you can make pumpkin pie, pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin brownies pumpkin curries, and best of all pumpkin soup! Not only are they versatile, pumpkins pack a healthy punch too; 1 cup of pumpkin is around 50 calories, 0 fat and 4 gram of fibre and it has over 100% of your vitamin A.

What’s not to love?

This recipe was graciously given to me from my Mom. She has been making it forever, and anyone that has tried it has fallen in love. It is a definite company pleaser and a great appetizer for a turkey dinner feast. At the bottom of this recipe I also give instructions for using fresh pumpkin, which is a great use for all the creepy jack-o-lanterns leftovers, as well as some gluten and allergy friendly garnishes.

Pumpkin Carrot Soup with Balsamic and Rosemary Croutons
Makes about 4 cups

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 3 medium carrots (grated and chopped)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 green onions (chopped) + 1 extra for garnish (cut on an angle)
• 1 orange or yellow pepper (seeded and chopped into small pieces)
• 1 teaspoons ginger (grated)
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (The chicken makes the soup more buttery tasting)
• 1 398ml can of pure pumpkin *
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté green onions, garlic, carrots and peppers in olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add in ginger.

2. Place sautéed mixture in blender – add about 1 cup vegetable stock. Blend until smooth. (This may have to be done in bunches, depending on the size of your blender.

3. Place blender mixture back into pot, and add remaining stock.

4. Add can of pureed pumpkin and stir until mixed together

5. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes or until croutons are complete.

6. Serve with croutons and green onion.

A few options:
- To add sweetness to soup add in _ apple before pureeing
- Add curry powder for an ethnic flare
- Use pumpkin pie spice (all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
- For a protein boost add rinsed and drained canned chickpeas after pureeing
- To make for a complete meal, serve over quinoa
- To use fresh pumpkin – Wash outside of small pumpkin, remove seeds, cut pumpkin into large chunks. Place pumpkin chunks onto a baking pan and roast at 400 degrees until pumpkin is soft and has caramelized. Let pumpkin cool, and scoop flesh out of skin. Add pumpkin flesh to the blender and puree with chicken or vegetable broth until smooth. Add puree to soup.

Balsamic and Rosemary Croutons

• 1/2 French Baguette – or favourite type of bread
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary.
Preheat over at 350 degrees.
Cut bread up into 1 inch cubes
Drizzle with Olive oil, Balsamic Vinegar and Rosemary*
Stir until all pieces of bread are coated
Put in oven for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring _ way through
Make sure to watch, it will burn quickly
Cook until bread gets crispy

*Alternatives crouton flavours:
- Coconut Oil and curry powder
- Olive oil, cinnamon and sugar (would be fantastic with the apple version of this soup)
- Butter and Garlic

Gluten free garnishes :
- Parsley, chives, dill
- grated cheese
- chopped apple
- cashew cream (soak cashews for 4+ hours and blend with a bit of water or milk of choice until smooth, you can also add fresh herbs or spices for an extra flare)
- crème fresh or sour cream
- toasted pumpkin seeds
- buttered popcorn (yes you heard right, buttered popcorn is awesome on this)

Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie–Guest Post

 

Chicken Pot Pie
-1 of your favourite store bought pie crusts (try generic brands, as they usually omit dairy as a way to cut costs)  

For the filling:
-3 tablespoons of your favourite dairy free butter
-½ medium yellow onion, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
-Salt and freshly ground pepper
-1-1½ lbs. cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works well if you want a short cut)
-1½-2 cups frozen peas and carrots

For the sauce:
-8 tablespoons of your favourite dairy free butter
-1 cup all-purpose flour
-2½ cups chicken broth
-½ cup soy milk
-Dash of hot sauce
-Salt and freshly ground pepper
-Sprinkle of thyme or marjoram (optional)

Add the onion to the pan, and sauté for about 5 minutes.  Mix in the garlic, turn off the heat and mix in the chicken and the frozen peas and carrots. Stir in the thyme or marjoram (if using), red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth.  Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and cook over medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of a cream soup.  Mix in the soy milk, the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the cream sauce over the chicken and veggie mixture and stir to combine well.  Spoon the mixture into individual oven-safe dishes, such as bowls or large ramekin’s. 

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Cut the dough to fit the dishes and place on top of the individual dishes.  Trim and crimp the edges and slice vents in the top.

Place the pot pie dishes on a baking sheet for easy transfer in and out of the oven.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  Serve immediately.

These come out of the oven piping hot and oozing...completely irresistible.  Enjoy!
-Amanda

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Thanks Amanda – these sound fantastic!!  I haven’t had Chicken Pot Pie since I became dairy free, so this is on my list for sure!!

Please check out Amanda’s blog for more yummy recipes!

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Hope you are all doing good!  Thanks for sticking around – even if I’m not posting often!