Spicy Cuban pumpkin soup

 

It’s Meatless Monday again! And this is the simple recipe for a tasty, vegetarian spicy Cuban pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin is a very good source of dietary fibres, vitamins A, C, and riboflavin, potassium, copper and manganese. It’s also a good source of vitamins E, B6, thiamin, niacin, folate, and iron, phosphorus and magnesium.

The quantities here serve 2-3 people. It’s ready in 45 minutes or so.

Ingredients

For the soup

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 5 cups of peeled and diced pumpkin
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• ½ red chili pepper (add more or less to taste), deseeded and roughly chopped
• 4 cups of water
• Salt
• Pepper
• ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup of half and half

For the topping

• ¼ cup of half and half
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon of ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
• Fresh chives, chopped

Preparation

In a cooking pot over high heat, add the butter and onion, and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the pumpkin, garlic and chili pepper, and stirring often cook for a few minutes more. Cover with 4 cups of water, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft.

Blend the soup with a stick blender – or a blender/food processor (bring back the soup to the cooking pot after blending). Stir in the half and half. Taste the soup and add more pepper and salt if needed. Cook uncovered for a few minutes, until the soup is thicker.

In the meantime, prepare the topping: in a small mixing bowl, add the half and half, ground cumin, ground coriander and ground cayenne pepper, and whisk until smooth.

Divide the soup into individual serving bowls. Garnish with the spicy cream and chopped chives, and serve at once!

Adapted from Taste of Cuba