Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Pepita Pesto

By DeliciouslyDished

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Ingredients

• Spicy Pumpkin Soup:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 serrano chiles, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 4 roasted piquillo peppers
• 4 cups fresh roasted pumpkin
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• juice of one lime
• salt to taste
• pomegranate arils
• Cotija cheese
• Cilantro Pepita Pesto:
• 1/3 cup toasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Details

Adapted from Soupssimo.com

Preparation

Step 1

Spicy Pumpkin Soup:
Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and let heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally for about ten minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add serrano chiles and garlic and cook, stirring, for another couple minutes. Add smoked paprika and cumin and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add piquillo peppers, roasted pumpkin, chicken stock, and honey. Turn up heat, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let soup simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Puree soup in batches in a blender or in the pot using an immersion blender. Return soup to the pot (if necessary) and stir in the cream. Add the lime juice and salt to taste (I used a little more than a teaspoon of salt). Reheat over low heat before serving. Garnish with Cilantro Pepita Pesto (recipe below), fresh pomegranate arils, and crumbled cotija cheese (may substitute feta). Serve with fresh lime wedges.

Cilantro Pepita Pesto:
Blend pepitas, cilantro, garlic, parmesan, and lime juice in a blender or food processor (or using an immersion blender). With blender running, slowly add olive oil. Blend until fairly smooth then season with salt to taste.

Notes:
*If you don’t want a spicy soup, remove the seeds and mebrane from the chiles. The serranos I used were very large, so I only used two, but you can adjust the amount to suit your own taste.
*I like to toast cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and darken slightly. Let them cool then grind in a clean coffee grinder or using a mortar and pestle. You may substitute regular ground cumin if you don’t have cumin seeds.
*I find canned roasted piquillo peppers at Trader Joes. You may substitute one whole roasted red bell pepper for the four piquillo peppers if necessary.
*You may substitute an equal amount of canned pumpkin for the fresh roasted pumpkin if desired.