Creamy Pumpkin Tomato Soup

A yummy soup to bring in the fall season.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 an onion, finely diced
Salt & pepper
4 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups finely diced tomatoes
2 cups veggie broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter

Heat the coconut oil in a soup pan and saute the onions with a little salt and pepper for about five minutes. Add the pumpkin, tomatoes, broth, thyme, cinnamon and honey. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.

Add coconut milk, whipping cream, and butter. Stir to mix. Add more salt, pepper, and/or cinnamon to taste. If you want your soup super-smooth, you can blend or puree it before serving. Garnish as desired.

Creamy Tomato Parmesan Soup

 I love this recipe because it's full of veggies, yet it tastes almost like a dessert! Its thick and creamy texture also makes it a great pasta sauce, or even a warm cheese dip with a little extra parmesan tossed in.

Ingredients

Veggies & Seasoning:

4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup finely sliced celery
1 cup finely sliced carrots
1 cup finely sliced onions
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 a bay leaf

Cream:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 cup half & half*
1 cup milk

*For soupier soup, you can substitute another cup of milk for the half & half.


Put all of the veggie and seasoning ingredients in a pot and cook over medium heat for about an hour, or until veggies are softened.

Melt butter over low heat and add flour, stirring together.  Take about a cup of the soup mixture and stir it in with the butter and flour, then add it back to the soup pot.

Add the rest of the cream ingredients. Mash up the soup veggies with a potato masher, breaking up any flour clumps if necessary.

Simmer for another 20-30 minutes. Then enjoy it as a soup or a warm sauce.

Thai Pumpkin Peanut Butter Soup

I experimented with this soup, mixing different recipes until I got this--a nice blend of creamy, sweet, and spiced.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
½ an onion, sliced and chopped thinly
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces pumpkin puree
2 cups water
1½ cups coconut milk
¹/₃ cup creamy peanut butter
1½ tablespoons grated lemon rind
salt and pepper to taste
a few pieces of fresh cilantro
optional: chili flakes or chili sauce to taste

Heat the oil and cook the onion in it with the brown sugar and garlic until transparent and soft.

Add the pumpkin, water, coconut milk, peanut butter, and lemon rind.  Stir and cook until all ingredients are mixed and soup is creamy and warm.  Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as chili flakes or sauce if you want it spicy.

Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Sweet Red Bean Soup

This sweet & yummy Chinese soup is very easy to make, if you have a few hours to hang around and watch over it.  It makes a nice last touch to a meal as a dessert soup, but you can also cut some or all of the sugar and enjoy it as a main course.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups small red beans
• 20-25 cups water (5-6 quarts)
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup dry tapioca

Boil the beans for two and a half hours, stirring occasionally. (Start with about half of the water and add cups periodically as it starts to boil out.) While the beans are cooking, soak the tapioca in a small bowl of water.  

After two and a half hours, add the tapioca and sugar, stirring constantly.  When the tapioca is transparent and the beans are soft, it's ready.  Enjoy your sweet red bean soup!