Roasted Pumpkin and Onion Bisque (Soup) - Thanksgiving Appetizer!


As we drift into longer and more chillier nights, and await the first snow, our tongues and minds crave for something hot, comforting and tantalizing. And with Thanksgiving round the corner, we are also looking for recipes that would fit the occasion. And this is one time of the year when you cannot ignore pumpkins, which are mainly cultivated in western hemisphere, and are commonly found in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and India. Honestly, I haven't been a great fan of using this in my recipes, maybe because I haven't developed the taste for it. But 3 days ago I tried the pumpkin soup at my cafe and the flavor struck a chord. It was creamy, rich, a bit of sweet with a touch of onions and savored with italian herbs. And the mere look of the bisque was inviting and soothing at the same time. So I thought I have to share this with my other readers who might have shied away from pumpkin recipes just like me and would never realize how wonderful this recipe could be! The credit for this recipe goes to the chef at our cafe:) I promised a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast, and true to my words, here comes the first course on the menu, a warm and comforting Pumpkin and Onion Bisque (with a Vegan version) to serve your family and friends!

Ingredients
1 large pumpkin, skin removed, and cut into medium-sized pieces
1 yellow onion - chopped
3 cloves of garlic - mashed with the blade of a knife (do not chop)
1 tbsp fresh thyme - finely chopped (or use the dry packaged one found in stores)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
3 cups vegetable stock or water
3 tbsp dry white wine (optional, but it's the secret holiday ingredient!:))
1/2 to 1 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp fennel powder (optional to your taste)
1 cup heavy cream

For a Vegan Recipe, substitute coconut Milk instead of heavy cream. You won't compromise on the taste. In fact, coconut adds a nice flavor to the soup!

Method
Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss the pumpkin, onions, garlic and thyme in olive oil so that it is evenly coated and spread the mixture onto a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 20–30 minutes until tender, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven and transfer to a large saucepot. Add the vegetable stock, wine and cardamom powder and simmer for 10 minutes. Now remove from flame and let it cool a little.

Puree the soup in a blender until smooth and transfer to another saucepan. When ready to serve, reheat on medium flame, bring back to a simmer, then add in the heavy cream and whisk well. Remove from heat and serve hot with a piece of your favorite bread on the side. You can even garnish with more cream or bread croutons! For a Thanksgiving Main Course, try the Vegetarian Lasagna with Noodles!

Tip: You can add more vegetables like celery and carrots. A dash of nutmeg, if you like the flavor, can also add a nice zing!


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25 comments :

Anonymous said...

I have also not tried pumpkin soup before, but after looking at your recipe, and because I believe in your culinary skills, I'll surely give this a try:)

the pic is making me hungry, and I can smell roasted soup with onion and garlic...aah!! heaven!!:D

-Helene

FH said...

Great color. Looks gorgeous! Enjoy.
You already started the Thanksgiving dinner? I still have to prepare, will post next Wednesday.But we had somuch pumpkin for Halloween, I will skip this week!:))
Have a great weekend, see you on Monday.

Kribha said...

I shy away from pumpkins too. Just recently I have started eating pumpkin cake but that would be my last preference. Never tried this soup before. I think I'll try it soon. BTW, did you get the recipe from your cafe chef or you made it on your own? The color and appearance looks so good.

Mansi said...

Yeah, we'll probably go out for a couple days on thanksgiving as its a 4-day weekend; so finishing up on food:) plsu, I can't make a huge spread like you on the same day Asha!! i have to do one dish at a time:)

Anonymous said...

I've had these at restaurants before, but never tasted cardamom or garlic before! you seem to have added a nice mix of flavors Mansi!

looking forward for the other courses!:)

-Sheila

Mansi said...

Kribha - I modified my cafe chef's recipe a bit by adding garlic, fennel and heavy cream..and I think it does add to the flavor! I was even going to sprinkle some shredded cheese on the top, but I thought it's enough rich already:D...do try it..the pumpkin taste is not too pronounced due to other spices.

-Mansi

musical said...

Cool idea to use cocnut milk, it must ahve tasted great! and fennel too. Perfect recipe for the weekend :). have a wonderful one, dear :).

cheers,
musical.

TBC said...

Mansi, that sounds so good! I have a big pumpkin that has been sitting here for ages but I don't know how to cut open the damn thing. All I have are regular knives. There are so many pumpkin recipes going around these days and I really want to make this one.

Siri said...

Lovely looking soup Manasi !!

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious Mansi! Great Thanksgiving or anytime autumn dish. I usually make onion soup for Thanksgiving -- this is a nice twist :)

Kelli said...

Such a beautiful color and I'll bet it's delicious!!

Kelli

Richa said...

looks so thick n creamy :) liked the idea of adding cardamom and coconut milk, gotta' try :)

KayKat said...

Mansi! I love that picture - the cup of soup looks truly appetizing.

I'm a huge fan of squash bisques, but I've never tried a pumpkin bisque before. Got to try it now :)

Rasa Malaysia said...

The onion bisque looks sooo good...I love everything made with onions...they are so sweet. :)

bee said...

have you tried pumpkins with leeks? it's a magical combo. plus ginger.

aneesh said...

waw.. great blog..
Came to see this blog on DP

Me too from india.. another blogger like you..

Simple Tricks

Katie Zeller said...

We are so trained to think of pumpkin as needing to be sweet - in a dessert or muffin. I love it in savory dishes! Great looking soup, perfect for Thanksgiving or to have a mug of on a cold afternoon....like right now, I'm thinking....

Coffee and Vanilla said...

Mansi, that is very nice recipe. This soup looks amazing! I would love to have some now. It is quite cold now here in London.

Greetings, Margot

DEEPA said...

i love this color ...awesome ....something new and great one .....

zlamushka said...

Here s the onion pumpkin bisque you were talking about.. lovely indeed. Looks very festive

Swati said...

Yummy soup Mansi...I dont experiment much with pumpkins...but this needs to be given a try!!!

Daily Meals said...

Delicious soup with lovely colour.

Anonymous said...

Yummy, you are right, this would be a great item with my lil pumpkins recipe. Adding a link to you, love your site.

http://divadiner.blogspot.com

Cris said...

Cardamom!!! One of my favorite spices, this must be soooo good, I want to thank the chef for sharing!

Elpi said...

Wow! Another twist food recipe for pumpkin, I love it!