Vegan Pumpkin Bisque

This slightly spicy pumpkin bisque is super easy to make and incredibly flavorful. It's definitely a one-pot recipe that takes very little time or effort. Also, it freezes very well, so you can make a lot of it.

The recipe below makes about 4 hearty portions, but I recommend making as much as your pot can fit and storing the rest in the freezer for a day you don't feel like cooking.

If you have an Instant Pot, I suggest you do all of your prep and cooking in there. That truly will make it a one pot experience. If not, you will have to roast your pumpkin before you try to turn it into a soup.

You can also substitute canned pumpkin purée if you don't feel like chopping up and dealing with an actual pumpkin. I wouldn't blame you there. Though you do get the bonus of some roasted pumpkin seeds if you go for the actual squash. Pumpkin purée is a great option though. Just make sure you get pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. I've made that mistake before at the store. Oops!

You'll notice the addition of sumac to this recipe. I have loved sumac since I was a little kid in Upstate New York. We learned how to harvest it and make sumac tea and sumac juice. I lost touch with it for a couple of decades after that and then was re-introduced to it while spending time in Lebanon. It is a great way to add a bit of tart acidity to something without juicing a lemon or lime or adding more liquid to your recipe. I'm obsessed.

And now for the soup!

DIRECTIONS:

1. In your pot, heat some extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. Use about a tablespoon and a half. Once it's shimmering, add in your chopped onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté those until the onions begin to get translucent.

2. Add in your water, carrots, celery, pumpkin and bouillon cube and bring to a boil.

3. Add in your coconut milk (if you want a thicker soup, add in some coconut cream as well), sumac, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.

4. If you're using an Instant Pot, turn it on low pressure and let it ride for 8 minutes. In a regular pot, let it maintain a low boil until the carrots are soft but not mushy.

5. Either release the pressure from your Instant Pot or turn off your heat on the stove.