Rouge Vif D'Etampes Savory Curry Pumpkin Soup with Mushrooms

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This is the french Rouge Vif D'Etampes. According to Johnny Seeds "Rouge vif" means "vivid red." This is an attractive variety for fall display. Shaped flat, looking like a red cheese wheel, the fruits average 10-15 lb. The moderately sweet, orange flesh is excellent for pies. Also known as Cinderella.

A savory curry pumpkin soup recipe

There is nothing like a savory curry to warm you up during the cold winter months. I like to make a huge pot of it to a pint at a time. I used an organic curry mix from Frontier Spices, and augment it with extra cumin. Curry is generally a blend of spices, often containing cumin. Some curries are very complex like the Mexican Molé which can have up to 35 spices including chocolate. But on to our savory pumpkin curry soup with the less sweet meat of the Rouge Vif D’Etampes pumpkin, and of course, substitute with any pumpkin you have growing locally.

Note, it is important to prep the seeds and the pumpkin at the same time so they can be roasted in the oven together.

Ingredients

• 1 large cooking pumkin

• 2 cans organic coconut milk

• 2-3 C chopped mushrooms

• 1-2 T of Celtic sea salt (do not substitute with a washed sea salt)

• 1-2 large yellow onions

• 1 lage 2-3” section of fresh ginger root

• 1 garlic bulb (crushed ahead of time so it has time to alchemize it’s antibacterial properties)

• 2-3 T Organic curry powder (Frontier makes a good one), and any other spice you wish. I also sprinkled in some cumin seeds for fun at the end

• 1” strip of Kombu

• 2-4 T coconut oil or olive oil to use to sauté and bloom the spices

• 1-2 QTs water (and/or stock, I make my own)

• Blender or food processor or immersion blender (not actually an ingredient)

Roasted curry Pumpkin Soup directions

1. Cut the pumpkin in half or quarters. Scoop out the seeds and other loose flesh and set aside. If you choose halves, you lay them face down in a glass baking dish. Or arrange quarters in a glass baking dish. Glass is best for baking pumpkin or squash in general because there are always juices and you can add them into whatever you are making if they are not sticking to parchment or on metal.

2. Roast the pumpkin the until they are soft. I like to roast them at 300º F, but that will take several hours, don’t go higher than 350º F for about 30-45 minutes, check them with a fork. Let cool. When you stab them with a fork, it should go in and back out easily.

3. Chop the onions and ginger and toss in the bottom of a large (at least 8 qt) sauce pan with either olive or coconut oil and sauté until they start to get soft.

4. Add the spices/garlic/salt to meld the flavors with the onions and ginger. This will produce a wonderful aroma!

5. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté another 3-5 minutes.

6. Add the water/coconut milk/stock and kombu and bring to a boil. Skim any scum that rises to the top (a foam) and then reduce the heat to a near simmer while you work on the pumpkin meat.

7. Separate the outer skin from the meat of the pumpkin and add to the pot. Turn off the heat and use the immersion blender to blend it thoroughly. If you want to use a stand up blender or food processor, you will have to add some of the liquid and some of the meat in batches, then re-combine everything once blended back in the large pot. The idea is to get all the ingredients and flavors emulsified and creamy.

   • Sometimes I take the kombu out before I blend it up to make a lighter colored soup. The kombu is adding tons of minerals and iron and iodine to the soup, but not much flavor.

8. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring constantly, and then let simmer for about 5 minutes are you are done! Serve with the pumpkin seeds or I always like to add a little hemp hearts or chive flowers on top. Be creative.

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‘dirty’ or unwashed pumpkin seeds have 10x the flavor of the cleaner variety. Pumpkin seeds are high n zinc, a natural immune system supporter.

Dirty roasted pumpkin seeds

1. Separate the seeds from the bulk of the pumpkin flesh, leaving most of the flesh intact, do not rinse them! Put them in a bowl and add the oil and a pinch of salt and mix around until all the seeds are coated.

2. Spread the seeds on a flat baking pan (glass or metal with parchment) and roast along with the pumpkin meat.

3. Seeds may take longer than the meat. Toss them around every 15 minutes or less so they cook evenly on all sides. The only way to know if they are sufficiently roasted all the way through is to taste one and serif it is crunch/dry.