Fall
Halloween Burnt Pumpkin Soup with Scary Garnish
- Prep time 20 minutes
- Cook time 30 minutes
- Serves 8
Author Notes
Are you in Halloween mode? Are you preparing something special for the occasion? Do you go from door to door with the children? If at least you are planning to have a horror evening with family or a friendly themed dinner, I have something spooky ready for you!
So I present to you my burnt pumpkin soup which I hope will get people talking. Burnt? Burnt, yes! The idea is to cook the pumpkin and other vegetables in two stages. First on a baking tray at maximum power, until everything burns slightly and get charred. And the cooking then ends by simmering a little in a broth flavored with ginger and smoked paprika. The creamy side is obtained with the addition of tomato juice rather than cream. It also allows you to maintain an intense orange color and keeping everything vegan!
All that remains is to garnish with stuff that make you think of disgusting things! Think “blood”, think “bugs”, think “eyes of some critters’’. It’s going to be fun!
—Jonathan Michaud
Ingredients
- INGREDIENTS FOR THE SOUP
-
2
small pumpkins, unpeeled, cored and cut into strips
-
2
red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
-
2
yellow onions, cut into strips
-
3 tablespoons
olive oil
-
1 tablespoon
maple syrup
-
3
galic cloves, chopped
-
1 tablespoon
fresh ginger thinly chopped
-
1/2 teaspoon
smoked paprika, or more to taste
-
3 cups
vegetable stock
-
1 cup
tomato juice
-
salt and pepper, to taste
- INGREDIENTS FOR THE SCARY GARNISH
-
black and/or blank-eyed beans
-
roasted pumpkin seeds (see NOTE 1 below)
-
puffed wild rice (see NOTE 2 below)
-
a few drops of tomato juice
-
fresh chives, dried herbs or fried shallots
Directions
- Preheat the oven to broil with one rack set in the center and another at the top of the oven. Spread the pumpkin, pepper and onion on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil or not. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and maple syrup. Toss the vegetables to coat well. Salt and pepper. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and roast for 7 minutes. Then transfer the sheet to the top rack and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes, monitoring the cooking. The vegetables should start to burn and turn black. Carefully remove the tray from the oven and let cool until the vegetables are easily handled. Peel the pumpkin pieces with your fingers (the flesh should easily flake away). Transfer all vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
- In a pot over medium heat, brown the garlic and ginger for two minutes in the remaining oil. Add the smoked paprika and cook for 1 additional minute, stirring. Season with salt and pepper and add burnt vegetables. Add broth and tomato juice. The amount of liquid should just cover the vegetables. Adjust quantity as needed. Bring to a boil and simmer gently over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Using a blender, mix everything into a smooth soup.
- Serve the soup in small bowls and decorate with the garnishes.
- NOTES 1 : To roast pumpkin seeds, melt a little butter in a small pan and add seeds. Let them roast until the seeds take on a nice golden color and begin to crackle. Season with salt and spices of your choice. Let cool and serve.
- NOTE 2 : For the puff wild rice. Simply fill the bottom of a small pan with vegetable oil to half an inch high. Turn on the heat and once oil is very hot, carefully pour ¼ cup of wild rice and let puff. It will take less than 5 seconds. Turn off the heat and empty the contents of the pan through a fine sieve over a heat resistant bowl and then place the puffed rice on a plate lined with absorbent paper. Season to taste and set aside.
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