Doesn’t that soup look delicious?? I lost my photo so I got the picture from this source. I’ve been thinking about making pumpkin soup for weeks, and when my pantry and fridge started looking really barren, I thought it was about time! It was so easy to make!
Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon Croutons
* Start by sauteeing whatever veggies you like – I used 1/2 onion, 3 celery stalks, garlic, and 4 carrots, in EVOO
* Add 3 c. veggie broth and leave the pot alone until veggies get tender
* Add 3 cans of pure pumpkin puree; turn heat down to simmer
* Season with salt, pepper, paprika, poultry seasoning, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom to taste
* To make it creamy, I pureed 1 c. nuts in a food processor. Cashews work best for this, but any combination of nuts would work fine – I used part walnuts and part pine nuts because that’s what I had on hand.
* If you want to keep the soup chunky, simply stir in the “cream”. I threw the entire mixture into my food processor and blended until smooth.
* Then, I made homemade croutons by throwing cubes of whole wheat bread until a skillet and browning them in EVOO, garlic, salt, and cinnamon.
* Top your soup with the croutons and some toasted pumpkin seeds and enjoy! 
I also threw together some roasted carrot “fries” since I had an abundance of carrots sitting that I wanted to use up! I still prefer sweet potato fries, but I love how carrots are easier to slice…. cutting sweet potatoes makes my wrist ache. And these were great without an added oil, just spices – I love the combination of salt, garlic, cumin, and paprika!
Another fun and VERY easy recipe I wanted to share with you is my Polenta Chili Casserole! It’s based on these 2 ingredients, canned chili, and ready-made polenta:
I threw the chili into the bottom of a 9×9″ pan. It didn’t seem like enough, so I added whatever I felt like, which ended up being canned olives, canned tomatoes, and canned artichoke hearts. I then topped the mixture with the polenta, which I grated finely, and some seasonings. It took about 30 minutes to bake to a good crispiness at 350 degrees, but if you were in a rush you could crank up the heat and eat it after less time.
This is the easiest possible meal to make in a hurry, and I love to have the pantry ingredients on hand for the nights where your fridge is less than stocked!
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So how has your week been going? I spent my day taking my 8th grade students to tour the county jail… what fun! I’ll probably talk about this more in my next post along with some dessert recipes. Hope you are having a wonderful day!
I'm a school social worker who is also a newlywed (and had a Big Fat Greek Wedding, no less!) living in Chicago. I am starting this blog to talk about the training process I will go through to prepare for the Chicago Marathon, while also raising awareness for Ceasefire, a Chicago anti-violence program.
[...] Polenta chili casserole and Pumpkin soup [...]
Your soup looks delicious, even though its not your picture!
Are you going to the Cook County Jail – yikes!
A stocked pantry is always a good thing!
I need to try that soup! Looks delish. A stocked pantry is always a shock here.
Country prison? Yikes from a daughter/friend of law enforcement that is not a good environment. Good luck!
Do you have any tips on getting silky smooth squash and pumpkin soups? I used my immersion blender and regular blender, but the consistency is not as smooth as the soups I buy from a box or restaurant. There is still grit in the soup.
That looks awesome!!!!
My old school used to take the 8th graders on a jail tour, supposedly to scare them straight
Mmm, I love pumpkin soup and that recipe looks delicious. If only I could find pumpkin around here (I figure I must be looking in the wrong place, how can there be no pumpkin this time of year!?)
I definitely agree with you on the pantry thing. Having stuff ferreted away has saved me many evenings!
-K
ooooooh how i wish it made geographical sense to come over for dinner!!!
I am planning to make my own pumpkin puree out of our Halloween pumpkins. I may have to add less liquid if I use that rather than canned…what do you think?
i’ve never had polenta, i’ve always been scared by it, and i’m not sure why!
those carrot fries look amazing though, i LOVE roasting them in the oven with the most simplest spice mixes!
I hope you have a fab weekend my dear!