SpiceLines

Still it's worth the effort. This soup is thick and hearty, but gets plenty of sizzle from spices like ginger and cinnamon cassia. Chicken broth and coconut milk add richness, while Vietnamese fish sauce gives it a deep, umami-like flavor. Lime juice lends acidity, the grated zest a a touch of bitterness.

There are many ways to garnish pumpkin soup, but I went with chopped cilantro and tangy roasted plum tomato slices sprinkled with Kashmiri chili powder. At the last moment I showered the soup with urfa biber, dark maroon pepper flakes that have been lurking in the pantry since last year’s trip to Istanbul. I like urfa’s biber’s mild heat and distinctive sour-fruity flavor, but I could also have used finely ground green peppercorns, or ancho chile powder or even cayenne. Each would have added a different kind of heat to the soup.

Anyway I'm sure you get the idea: Pumpkin squash is like a blank canvas waiting to be daubed. See what you’ve got in your own spice pantry and go to town. Just be sure to balance all its sweetness with sour, hot and salty tastes. A little bitterness never hurts either.

Now let’s address the chopping of the hard-shelled pumpkin squash. This is not a job for the faint of heart. You’ll need a heavy chef’s knife, a sturdy vegetable peeler, a wooden chopping block (or thick layers of newspaper) and a sharp edged spoon.

And for heaven sakes, wait till you’re done to have a drink.

In Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch, Nigel Slater offers “a word of caution” on penetrating that armor-like carapace.

“Sometimes the skin is so hard you feel the need for an axe. These old fruits are not called ‘ironbarks’ for nothing….Put the creature down on the work surface, cut a thin slice from the base so it will stand firm, then peel by cutting downward toward the board. You can trim up any missed bits later. Slice in half and scoop out the seeds and fibers with a spoon or your fingers…Cut the deep orange meat into slices, chunks, dice or whatever your recipe demands.”

Let me add that it’s much easier to peel the pumpkin if you set it in the sink on a layer of newspaper. Take your time with the next step: Insert the knife into the stem end and slowly and forcefully push the blade down to the base. Do this several times and you should be able to crack “the creature” open.

Now reward yourself with that drink.

Enough. I'll see you before Thanksgiving. And in the meantime, here's a recipe for your feast.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon, Coriander and Fresh Ginger

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients for the tomato garnish:
5 plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and sugar
Kashmiri chili powder or other ground red pepper

Ingredients for the soup:
7 cups pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup canola oil
2-1/2 cups onion, chopped
2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
4-inch stick cassia cinnamon, broken in half
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup white wine
6 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
1-1/2 cups coconut milk or more to taste (see note)
1 teaspoon fish sauce, or to taste
Sea salt to taste
Juice and grated zest of one lime, to taste

Ingredients for the final garnish:
Cilantro, chopped
Roasted tomatoes (see above)
Urfa biber or other mild pepper, if desired

Method:

1. Make the roasted tomato garnish: Set the oven to 300 degrees. Cut the tomatoes into ¼ inch horizontal slices and toss them with olive oil. Lay them on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and sprinkle with a little salt and sugar. Slow roast the tomatoes for approximately 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are beginning to dry up. Do not let them burn. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with Kashmiri chili powder, or other ground red pepper. Set aside.

2. Roast the pumpkin: Set the oven to 500 degrees. Toss the pumpkin pieces with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil and spread it on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn and roast for another 10 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft and has begun to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining canola oil in a large saucepan over a medium flame. When it is hot, add the onion, ginger root and cinnamon and sauté until the onion has softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the ground coriander and cardamom and sauté, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes more.

4. Add the roasted pumpkin, white wine and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, then remove from the flame and let it cool a little.

5. In batches, whirr the soup in a blender until it is fairly smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more chicken broth.

6. Return the pumpkin mixture to the saucepan and add the coconut milk, stirring gently, over a low flame. The soup should be thick, but still liquid—add more coconut milk if desired or chicken broth if needed to maintain the proper consistency.

7. Add seasonings to taste: fish sauce, sea salt, lime juice and zest.

8. If you have time, let the soup cool to room temperature. (You can make the soup the day before and the flavors will be even more delicious.) Before serving, reheat and correct the seasonings if needed.

9. Before serving, garnish each portion with chopped cilantro. Float a few roasted tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with urfa biber or other mild pepper if desired.

Note: Aroy-D Coconut Milk, all natural and preservative free, can be ordered online from Import Food. It blends beautifully in soups or curries and does not have the greasiness that is characteristic of some canned coconut milk.