Ingredients
4tbspolive oil,divided
4lbssugar pie pumpkin
1large yellow onion,chopped
4cloveslarge garlic,pressed or minced
½tspsea salt
½tspground cinnamon
½tspground nutmeg
⅛tspcloves
1dashcayenne pepper,if you like spice (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
4cupsvegetable broth
½cupcoconut milk,full fat, or heavy cream
2tbspmaple syrup,or honey
¼cuppepitas,or green pumpkin seeds
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Carefully halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Slice each pumpkin halve in half to make quarters.
Brush or rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the flesh of the pumpkin and place the quarters, cut sides down, onto the baking sheet.
Roast for 35 minutes or longer, until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add onion, garlic, and salt to the skillet.
Stir to combine. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. In the meantime, peel the pumpkin skin off the pumpkins and discard the skin.
Add the pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper (if using), and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Use your stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit. Pour in the broth.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes to give the flavors time to meld.
While the soup is cooking, toast the pepitas in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, golden, and making little popping noises. Transfer pepitas to a bowl to cool.
Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly. Use an immersion blender to blend this soup in the pot.
Working in batches, transfer the contents of the pan to a blender (do not fill the blender past the maximum fill line). Securely fasten the blender’s lid and use a kitchen towel to protect your hand from steam escaping from the top of the blender as you purée the mixture until smooth.
Transfer the puréed soup to a serving bowl and repeat with the remaining batches.
Taste and adjust if necessary. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle pepitas over the soup and serve. Enjoy!
