Hello dear friends! It's been forever since I've posted, but today is one of the first days in a very long time that I've been at my computer pre-9 p.m. Between traveling and freelance recipe-testing/food-styling gigs, I've spent more time in the kitchen and on set lately, and had less time for writing and blogging. I'm grateful for the work, but have definitely missed sharing my thoughts and recipes with you all! As I get closer and closer to this baby girl's arrival, I'm hoping I'll be able slow down a bit so I can post more regularly. I have so many thoughts and ideas buzzing around that I'm dying to share before I get hit with post-baby sleep deprivation! Ha.

But for today, I want to talk about one of my FAVORITE topics ever: pumpkin. If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you've probably figured out that each fall, I go pumpkin crazy. Though I'm not *quite* that girl who counts down the days until Starbucks releases their Pumpkin Latte (truthfully, I'm not a fan), I do consume pumpkin in just about every other form: pancakes, waffles, bread, muffins, donuts, and even Madeleines. When my friend Sara Cornelius, creator of the beautiful blog Cake Over Steak, asked me to contribute a recipe to her #virtualpumpkinparty (a collection of 70+ bloggers all sharing their favorite pumpkin recipes!), of course I said an enthusiastic yes! At first, I thought I'd re-share a recipe for one of my pumpkin baked goods, but then I thought: what about a savory pumpkin dish? Like a soup? So I found myself jotting down "Curried Pumpkin Soup" for my recipe contribution and went about developing a new dish.

Pumpkin-Curry-Soup

Though you could easily create this soup with a puree made from roasting your own pumpkin, I went the easy route and used organic canned pumpkin puree. (If you're using canned, you'll need 1 1/2 cans. That might seem annoying, but I take advantage of having an extra 1/2 can of pumpkin on hand to make a batch of pumpkin madeleines or pumpkin pancakes. Pumpkin will NEVER go to waste in my house!) I wanted to create a vegan soup, but still wanted a creamy texture, so I stirred in a can of coconut milk at the end. It was the perfect compliment to the spices and curry flavor, and gave the soup a richness without any butter or cream. For a crunchy garnish, I added a handful of toasted pepitas. (You could also add some cilantro leaves as a garnish, but honestly it's great without it.)

This soup is SO easy to make, and is pretty much the perfect fall meal. A pot of this, with some crusty bread and a green salad, is exactly the kind of cozy dinner that I'd love to share with friends on a chilly evening.

I originally created this recipe for Delish (in my Insanely Easy Weeknight Dinner column), but I wanted to post it here in case you missed it. What about you? What's your favorite pumpkin recipe?? Share below!

xo, Anna

COCONUT CURRY PUMPKIN SOUP WITH TOASTED PEPITAS

Prep Time: 5 minutes // Cook Time: 20 minutes // Total Time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated*

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cloves

Salt and pepper, to taste

3 cups pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)

¼ cup packed brown sugar

4 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

Toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until soft. Add in the garlic and ginger, stirring regularly, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in the curry, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the pumpkin puree and brown sugar. Whisk in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in the coconut milk, cooking over low heat until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro.

*If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can substitute 1 teaspoon ground ginger.