Pumpkin Peanut Thai Soup

I really love the idea of pumpkin soup. However, the more different pumpkin soup recipes I try, the more disappointed I become. They all feel like they are covering up the fresh delicately sweet pumpkin taste, rather than enhancing it.

I knew I wanted pumpkin soup for Halloween dinner, and I knew that now was the time to branch out and create my own recipe. And boy oh boy, did I. This soup was so delicious and creamy, and the pumpkin flavor really shone through. The hints of peanut and Thai curry played up the sweetness and richness. If you're looking for a complex soup that's at the same time deliciously simple, you've found your match.

Pumpkin Peanut Thai Soup
Serves 4

1 small to medium pie {or sugar} pumpkin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp Thai curry paste {I used green}, or to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and place cut sides down in a greased baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until flesh of the pumpkin can be easily pierced. Allow to cool until the pumpkin halves can be comfortably handled.

2. Scoop the flesh of the pumpkin into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot. Add the onion and sautee until golden, about 8 minutes.

4. Add the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, vegetable broth, peanut butter, and curry paste. Puree using an immersion blending to your desired consistency. Heat for 10 to 15 minutes to allow flavors to combine and all ingredients to heat uniformly.

5. Taste for seasonings, and add more curry paste, salt, or pepper if desired.

6. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream, some roasted salted peanuts, and a dash of paprika.

Coconut-Peanut Chickpeas and Vegetables

I love curry!

Penne With Peanut Pesto

A quick dinner of penne tossed in a creamy succulent peanut pesto. Read more about it here.

Asian Peanut Slaw

I'm not much of a salad girl, I'll confess. It's not that I don't like them, it's more that I feel the return on investment for my time spent making them is sub par. One exception is coleslaw. I love coleslaw in all its forms. I'll admit it. It makes me sad to see all those little ramekins headed back to the kitchen at restaurants, neglected on the plates of people who see it as a "lesser food form". Coleslaw is DYNAMITE.

My favorite coleslaw variations definitely tend toward the exotic. Okay, so Asian coleslaw isn't exactly exotic, but I can pretend, right? This is my new favorite, fresh shredded vegetables, crunchy noodles, and salty peanuts in a tangy sweet & sour peanut sauce that just will not quit. It is even good enough to bear the Ninjahusband stamp of approval. And because I'm so nice and fabulous and cute and everything, I'll share the recipe with you here and now.

Asian Peanut Slaw
Serves 8

2 packages of Ramen noodles, spice packets discarded {yuck!}, crushed
1 bag of cabbage coleslaw mix {14 oz}
1 carrot, grated
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
cilantro, for garnish

1. In a large bowl, mix together the noodles, cabbage mix, carrot, and green onions.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut butter.
3. Pour the dressing down over the cabbage mixture, add the peanuts {reserving a few for garnish} and toss until well coated.
4. You can eat this right away, but it's even better if you can let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two. Whenever you decide to serve it, garnish it with the reserved peanuts and cilantro.