I woke up this weekend morning and really felt like there were only two options for my day: pajama bottoms and soup. With the holidays (and Black Friday television commercials) upon us, it feels like the season is breaking down our doors. Not subtle. Well, Thanksgiving… if you’re going to come barging in here, please just know I’ll be dressed in my sleepytimes and gorging on this soup. It’s vegan. It’s guilt-free gorging.
This soup is totally a holiday-worthy dish… but my mind is really fighting the notion of turkey and stuffing. Can we just make some soup and biscuits, watch Ben Affleck in The Town (because I’m weirdly obsessed with that movie) and call it a day?
I don’t have all the answers. I do have all the soup.
I love when the start of a recipe involves a roasting pan. In this case, small Sugar Pumpkins are sliced in half, de-seeded and de-stringed, and placed to roast.
Sugar Pumpkins are great for roasting. They’re petite in stature, and much more ideal for roasting than a pumpkin your might pick up for Halloween carving. Sugar pumpkins have a slightly more dense and less stringy flesh. Ideal.
I’m not sure soup can be considered soup without onions and garlic in some variation. Strawberry Soup…ew.
Onions and garlic are cooked down with olive oil. This alone will make your house smell like success.
I like to add curry powder to the cooking onions and garlic… the heat really brings out the flavor of the spice.
And… what do cashews have to do with this soup!? Cashews are our vegan creamy secret weapon. Cashews are soaked for about and hour then blended into a soft milk. When added to the soup the cashew cream adds a creamy richness without the use of a cow. It’s pretty brilliant. I first discovered this technique when I made this Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup, and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
Pumpkins are cleaned, scraped, and drizzled generously with olive oil, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes.
A hot oven does all the work of making these pumpkin halves soft, tender, and utterly delicious.
Essentially what we’re making is curry-spiced pumpkin velvet.
With silky cashew cream mixed through, this soup becomes a little bowl of wonder. These are simple ingredients made to shine. Onion and garlic pull their weight. Pumpkin is putting in some overtime. Curry powder really takes charge as an alluring and totally comforting spice.
This soup is also fairly flexible! I blended my soup smooth with an immersion blender. If you don’t have one on hand, the soup can be transferred to a regular blender in batches and made smooth. If you don’t have any blender option at all, this soup would also be just lovely as a chunky soup.
If raw cashews are too hard to come across, not to worry… this soup is also just great without the cashew cream. Add a peeled, and cooked potato for a bit of added dreaminess.
Options, open.
It’s totally that time of year again. Are you in a Thanksgiving frenzy? Are you thinking about just buying frozen appetizers and pre-made pie crusts just to save your sanity? I understand… very much.
Here are a few of the recipe I’m brainstorming for the upcoming eat-fest holiday.
Baked Brie Bites are an appetizing wonder. The beauty of these bites is that they can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer. Cross appetizers off the list!
I always want my salads to look like I spend an entire day planning their greatness… but I want them to only take about 20 minutes to make. Apple Pomegranate Brussels Sprout Salad is the answer.
Hassleback Potatoes with Spinach Cashew Cream are a total show-stopper. They’re a show-off potato… it’s all the fancy slicing and the tiny slivers of garlic that are placed between every slice. My favorite part about these potatoes are the buttered crisp potato skins. Fancypants delicious!
I am just the happiest baker in the world with a pavlova in front of my face. I love the crisp texture and soft center. This time of year, homemade cranberry sauce makes every bit of sense. I love this combination: Pavlovas with Cranberry Orange Rosemary Sauce
This Salted Caramel Cheesecake Pie wins the award for the most lovely special occasion dessert. You might consider doubling the caramel recipe just so you have enough to pour all over your body. Or maybe that’s just me…
I hope your holiday is filled a tremendous amount of pumpkin, caramel, and cranberries in whatever incarnation feels happy to you.
I love you, I do.
Vegan Creamy Curried Pumpkin Soup
makes about 12 cups
2 sugar pumpkins for roasting (pumpkins need to yield between 4 and 5 cups of roasted pumpkin)
olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes for roasting
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
4 cups roasted pumpkin flesh (from what we roasted above)
6 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
sage leaves quick fried in oil and good olive oil for garnish
For Cashew Cream:
1 cup raw cashews (raw cashews are important because they’re more soft that the roasted variety)
1 cup water
First prepare the cashews for the cashew cream. In a small bowl combine cashews and water. Set aside. Allow to soak for at least 1 hour.
Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly drizzle two baking sheets with olive oil. Set aside.
Slice pumpkins in half. Use a spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and strings. The seeds can be rinsed and saved for roasting. Discard the guts and strings.
Place pumpkins so that the scraped flesh is face up. Drizzle each half with olive oil, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Place in the oven and allow to roast until soft and a fork inserted through the flesh meets no resistance, about 30-40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle. Once cool enough to handle, scoop soft pumpkin flesh out of the pumpkin skin, measuring 4 cups into a medium bowl. Set side.
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until browned and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute more. Add curry powder and cook for one minute more. Add 4 cups of pumpkin flesh and stir until incorporated. Add vegetable broth and stir to combine. Bring soup to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until creamy. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can add the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. This can be done in several batches.)
Lastly make the cashew cream. In a blender combine cashews and its soaking water. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Add cashew cream to the blended pumpkin soup. Stir to combine.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil and fried sage leaves.
Kyley
I made this soup on the weekend for my work lunches in the week ahead. I’ve had the soup for 4 days in a row now and I just can’t get enough. It is honestly the best pumpkin soup I’ve ever had in my life. I’m so glad I’ve got even more in the freezer. The cashews are the magic ingredient. Thanks so much.
Deese
Hi Joy! I have made quite a few things from your blog and cookbook. I just wanted to let you know I recently made this awesome soup as well and loved it so much that I posted about it on my new blog!
http://inthecathouse.blogspot.com/2013/04/curried-pumpkin-soup.html
Shoba Shrinivasan
Wow.,
I just stumbled headlong looking for the green goddess dressing and I fell headlong in to a bowl of curried pumpkin soup! Love the silkiness of the soup and oh the colors! I need need to know the lenses you used.. the pics are so vibrant and almost capture the morning light in your kitchen!
Shobha
Sophie
Had never tried cashew cream as a thickener- SO delicious! Such a success! This recipe turned out amazingly. Thank you Joy!
Live a Sweet Life
This looks so good. Anything with pumpkin is amazing. Thanks!!
Charlotte
My friend has a recipe for (non-vegan) curried pumpkin soup that’s topped with toasted coconut. It’s a killer.
Also, I would be MORE than happy to eat soup and biscuits for Thanksgiving while watching movies. That sounds ideal.
Astrid
Absolutely delicious! You’re recipes never disappoint and this was no exception!
addie | culicurious
these dishes all look fantastic! I love the idea of the Hasselback potato best. YUM. I need to try to make these :)
The Life of Clare
I love curried pumpkin soup!thats my standard go to when I’m feeling a little lazy! And that salted caramel pie looks delicious!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure and Health
I have never used cashew cream ever but looking at the creaminess, I am inspired to try it. Have a great thanksgiving and thanks for sharing that caramel dessert..I want to pour caramel all over like you said. so delish!!!
Kate @ Eat, Recycle, Repeat
Strawberry soup is definitely the grossest soup ever. But this one looks wonderful! I loved your vegan cream of mushroom & cream of broccoli soups, so I’m sure this is a winner too
Carissa
You had me drooling on this one! I love your descriptive words. And I’m with you on the spending Thanksgiving with soup & biscuits instead of the whole big dinner thing.
Lucy
I’m weirdly obsessed with The Town too! I bet I’ve watched it 8 times. Why is that?? This soup will be a great addition the next time I feel compelled to watch it again!
anna
these pictures are really phenomenal. i mean all your pictures always are, but these are breathtaking! and not in the weird seinfeld way! also those brie bites…yum.!
Julia {The Roasted Root}
I’d take soup and biscuits over turkey and stuffing any day…too much hassell with all that stuff when soup is so easy and satisfying…and you can enjoy bowl after bowl without feeling like you need to sleep for a week. All your Thanksgiving goodies look great!
Sarah Kyle
NOM!
Dariana
I made this soup tonight. Except I added a giant dollop of sour cream to mine and utterly ruined its pristine vegan name. I’m looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
I also took your pie class at King Arthur Flour. I have been through so much butter in the last week making pie crusts and all manner of things flakey and delicious. Thank you for showing me the way.
Lucy
Your first cashew cream photo looks like Babar.
Did you know?
Amy Bossard
I love that movie too.
Sarah
I’m not sure how she has time to be such a genius AND beautiful, but it kind of kills me. These Thanksgiving dishes are works of art.
Alyssa
I made your little brie bites for a ‘fanksgiving’ yesterday – they were such a hit! This soup looks divine as well!
Yanica
Please oh please can i just come to your house for thanksgiving? I’m totally good with hanging out in pajamas : ) So not into thanksgiving this year.
Tori
Hey Joy!
Do you know if this soup freezes well? If there is any left over to freeze, that is. Thanks again for some great inspiration!
Tori
I made it, ate it, froze it, ate it again and it was TO DIE FOR!! pumpkin and curry together. forever.
(p.s. I was forced to use canned pumpkin due to the lack of pumpkins at my grocery store and I just couldn’t wait! it was still delicious, I can only imagine how pumped up it’ll be once I get to roast my own pumpkins!)
Stoich91
May I just say, that caramel thing looks fabulous? The line about pouring it all over your body…totally the funniest thing I’ve read in a very UNFUNNY DAY :D. Also, who needs answers when you have soup????
Katie @ Blonde Ambition
i love pumpkin curry, and it sounds amazing as a soup!
Jamie @ green beans & grapefruit
Joy, what a great feast! Everything looks spectacular- oh my, that cheesecake. The soup looks great, pumpkin usually goes into pie or soup in my kitchen. Gracias!
Le Citron
Hummmm… so yummy !
Eileen
This soup sounds amazing! I’m definitely going to have to add it to the fall recipe rotation. A big bowl of this soup, a chunk of bread, and a whack of garlic-sauteed kale–bliss.
Jillian@TheHumbleGourmet
My head is overwhelmed with the prospect of Thanksgiving (hosting our first this year!) I already have my menu but now I want to add everything you just mentioned; particularly the pavlovas. Yummers!
Annie @ Annie's City Kitchen
I’m CRAZY in love with pumpkin soup. I’ve made a different batch every week for the past month. I’ve been looking around for ways to avoid cream so this is just perfect.
Leah
Roasted “Squash” soups are my favorite! I will have to try the cashew cream sometime. My last soup I used coconut milk (also vegan) which gave it a lovely extra flavor as well! Love your blog as always!
Nicole @ the Dirty oven
Looks super lovely. Can’t wait to try it out. You are getting made props in our house this Thanksgiving. I am making your apple skillet cake and your pumpkin pie bars. Last night I was talking about using your ideas for dessert and Calvin said…Mom it is not just Joy there is Tracy too. Go figure.
Laura@potpourri
Those potatoes look moorish… Actually the whole meal is makining me want to lick my screen. Thanks for the post!
Diana
I’ve been on a soup kick for weeks, definitely trying this one. Thanks!
Lucia
I’d love caramel sauce on my body too!!! Happy Thanksgiving from Italy to you all :-)
Paulette
Aahh, the day after Thanksgiving I will be in my PJ bottoms and decorating for Christmas amd maybe, just maybe trying that glorious cheesecake you have posted. Thanks Joy
Sophie
amazingly amazing, thanks joy!
Miranda @ Mangoes and Chutney
Love this! It looks so dreamy, and I have some raw cashews that I have been wanting to try making cashew cream with.
Louisa
Too much deliciousness in one post! Might have to have some soup in my pj’s tomorrow :)
Jayne
My fav sentence “I don’t have all the answers. I do have all the soup.” cracked me up so bad!
Also, the salad was what caught my eye. Really marvellous colours! btw, I can’t get sugar pumpkins here. I might experiment with butternut squash if I can find them. and i see my new bottle of truffle oil coming into good use here ;-)
mary @ B&Gjournals
jayne–good idea re: butternut squash…i was just thinking the same thing!
Kate
Joy- the link to those brie bites just made my year. And don’t get me started on covering my body with caramel sauce, I didn’t think we could talk about that in a public forum.
Thanks for all the amazing ideas, as always!
Bee
Joy I love this recipe and I love you!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
This looks amazing..especially the cashew cream!
narf7
I am seriously gargling with lust over this amazing feast for the senses… and most of it is vegan! I live in Australia where we have no affinity with thanksgiving whatsoever and sit in confused silence when we are bombarded with sweet pumpkin recipes however this post has done more for relations between the US and Australia than Amazon putting down their prices for postage to Australia and has salved the wound of Mcdonalds and inherited obesity all rolled into one. We forgive you America! Thanks for these fantastic recipes. I might just have my own personal little vegan thanksgiving this thursday (a day earlier than yours but whatchagonnado?) to celebrate the Indians (you) and the pilgrams (apparently “me”) learning to get along and share. Those hassleback potatoes are going to be gracing my plate and I will most probably lick said plate in abject delight. No relatives… no worries! ;)
Jamie @ green beans & grapefruit
This comment is amazing.
Deirdre
Cashews are so clever! Thanks Joy, big fan from Ireland, ordered your book last week. xx
http://thekitschcook.blogspot.ie/
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
this sounds so fabulous!!
Margarita
I love the Thanksgiving roundup and that lovely soup… I always like adding heavy cream to my soups for that added creaminess, but now that I know I can do better with cashew cream, life is even better. You are awesome! And pouring caramel all over your body… Yes, that cracked me up! :)
Jessie
Looks so yummy!! Can not wait to try this!! Happy Sunday!
Leslie Osburn
And we love you too. Have a wonderful holiday, turkey or not.
Christy @ My Invisible Crown
this soup looks delicious but it’s not what i want to talk about (sorry if that’s rude…not international). i, like a few of the other commenters, cannot absolutely not turn my head or the tv channel when any portion of the town is on. Affleck is gorgeous, there’s no denying it but for me it’s something else. I’m not even sure what it is. The Town and also Columbiana with Zoe Saldana whom I have a HUGE girl crush on. It’s a brutal movie and not one I am normally drown to but i love it. Oh and Michael Vartan is in it so that has to be at least half my obsession (but don’t let my husband read this). Wow, turns out I like talking movie obsessions. Soup looks divine by the way. Can’t wait to try it.
Gretta
This looks divine and perfect for my vegan friends. And, Ben Affleck is super hott in The Town so I completely understand.
Katie L
This soup makes me so happy! Now I know exactly what to do with my sugar pumpkin. I may substitute the cashew cream with coconut cream, just because that’s what I have on-hand. I’m thinking it’ll be so lovely with the curry powder!
Rachel (Two Healthy Plates)
I’ve been wanting to make a pumpkin soup all fall and since I love curry so much this one will be perfect- looks delicious! =)
Sandi
That apple pomegranate salad is now on my must-make-because-Joy-made-it list.
Don’t feel alone. I too, am also weirdly obsessed with said movie – The Town.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I love everything about this recipe – the roasted sugar pumpkins, the smoothness of the puree, and the cashew cream. I love making cashew cream sauces and infusing them with various flavor and then using that for kale chip coatings and just really…anything is better with cashew cream. YUM and happy thanksgiving & thanks for the great linkbacks and reminders!
~amy~
yum!
robyn
I will be making this soup berry berry soon
Amanda @ The Dormestic Goddess
The Town! Oh, how I do adore that movie! I can watch it and watch it and really never get sick of it – maybe it’s the accents, or Ben Affleck’s abs…idk. I was just talking with friends about making nut milk last night and love the use of cashew cream in this recipe, I may have to nut-up and just give it a try already!
Margherita
Curry and pumpkin: a marriage made in heaven!
Bakerkat
Yum I love to make and eat soup and this soup looks wonderful.
Hope the Holidays bring lot’s of yummy things your way too.
Laurie J Ronan
I’ve never been a curry fan, but this soup looks wonderful. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll make a lover out of me.
mary @ B&Gjournals
this soup looks divine—i’ve been down with a cold/flu all weekend and soups have gotten me through. look forward to trying this–and what a great cashew trick.