Pumpkin Soup

 The colder weather has finally arrived and with Halloween around the corner we couldn't find anything more suitable than making a pumpkin soup. The soup is not only delicious but easy to make and that is exactly what we like in this household with our busy schedules.

We personally love to add some Multi-Seeds + Oregano Nordic crunch to our soup for different textures and added flavors.

Ingredients: 

• 4 lbs. pound pumpkin cut into smaller pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, halved
• 4 large or 6 medium minced garlic cloves
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• freshly ground black pepper
• tiny dash cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup coconut milk or heavy cream, full fat 

Garnish:

• 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• multi-seeds + oregano Nordic crisps
• feta cheese (optional) 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Toss the pumpkin, onions and garlic with olive oil and salt and roast for 35 minutes or longer, until the pumpkin is easily pierced through with a fork. Set the roasted vegetables aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. Add the roasted vegetables to a pot with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Pour in the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
3. While the soup is cooking, toast the pepita seeds in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, golden and making little popping noises. You want them to be nice and toasty, but not burnt. Transfer pepitas to a bowl to cool.
4. Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly. Blend the mixture until smooth by using an immersion blender directly in the pot or in smaller portions in a stand blender.
5. Serve the soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle pepitas, Nordic crisps and feta cheese over the soup and serve.

Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day!). Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.