Description
A comforting and flavorful pumpkin soup topped with smoky roasted chickpeas. Roasted sugar pumpkin and bell pepper create a rich, velvety base enhanced with warming spices, sweet maple syrup, and creamy almond milk. The crispy, spicy chickpeas add a delightful texture contrast, making this soup perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 2 Sugar Pumpkins
- 5 tablespoons Olive Oil (divided)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 2 Shallots
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Stock
- 1/2 cup Almond Milk
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup (divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- Ground Nutmeg, to taste
- Ground Cinnamon, to taste
- Fresh Thyme, to taste (optional garnish)
Smoky Roasted Chickpeas
- 2 cans Chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons Tamari Soy Sauce
- 1 1/4 tablespoons Sriracha
- 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Chop the tops off the sugar pumpkins, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds and stringy bits. Rub 2 tablespoons of olive oil inside each half.
- Roast Pumpkin and Bell Pepper: Place the pumpkin halves face down on a baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour at 350°F until fork-tender. Place a whole red bell pepper on a rack above the pumpkins, roasting it until the skin chars and blackens, turning every 10 minutes.
- Prepare Chickpeas for Roasting: Dry 2 cans of chickpeas with paper towels, removing loose skins. In a bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, tamari soy sauce, sriracha, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and paprika. Toss chickpeas gently to coat, then spread evenly on a baking tray.
- Roast Chickpeas: Once pumpkin is tender, remove it from the oven. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Place chickpeas on the middle rack and return bell pepper. Bake chickpeas for about 20 minutes, shaking the tray halfway through for even toasting.
- Peel and Prepare Roasted Vegetables: Remove chickpeas from oven and keep warm inside with oven off. Remove bell pepper and place it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to steam and loosen skin. Scoop out flesh from the pumpkins. Peel skin off the bell pepper, remove seeds and stem, and chop into chunks.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, cooking until shallots are translucent and fragrant.
- Combine and Cook Soup Base: Add pumpkin flesh, roasted bell pepper chunks, vegetable stock, almond milk, and 2 teaspoons maple syrup to the pot. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Puree the Soup: Use an immersion blender or transfer in batches to a standing blender to puree the soup until smooth and creamy.
- Season the Soup: Return the pureed soup to the pot. Stir in salt, ground black pepper, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg to taste. Adjust seasoning by tasting and adding more if needed.
- Serve: Ladle the warm soup into bowls, topping each with a handful of smoky roasted chickpeas. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Ensure to remove skins from chickpeas for crispier texture.
- Adjust the level of spiciness by modifying the amount of sriracha in chickpeas.
- The maple syrup adds a pleasant sweetness; you can reduce or omit if preferred.
- If you don’t have tamari soy sauce, regular soy sauce works but may affect sodium content.
- Use an immersion blender for easy blending directly in the pot, or a standing blender in batches.
- Fresh thyme garnish is optional but adds a lovely herbal note.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin soup, roasted chickpeas, smoky chickpeas, easy pumpkin soup, vegetarian soup, fall recipe, creamy pumpkin soup
