Vegan Mexican Pumpkin Soup

This soup is made in three parts, but is really quite simple and easy to prepare. Because the chili sauce is made separately and used as a garnish, it is well suited to a wide variety of tastes. We like this for many reasons. The tofu crema lends an unexpected richness to the soup. We recommend using a strong pumpkin like the Hokkaido or Delicata, this ensures that the soup is not overwhelmed by the crema.

Soup

• 6 cups Hokkaido or Delicious pumpkin peeled and chopped
• 1 onion diced
• 8 to 10 cups vegetable broth
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• salt to taste

Tofu Crema

• 1 box Mori Nu extra firm silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Hot Chili Sauce

• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 6 small dried red chilies seeds and stems removed

Soup

Place the pumpkin, onion, broth, oregano, garlic and cumin in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the pumpkin is softened. Remove the stems from the oregano, and add to the soup. Puree in a blender or food processor, adding more liquid if necessary. Add salt to taste, and adjust the seasonings.

Tofu Crema

In a blender or food processor, puree all the ingredients until they reach the consistency of sour cream.
Set it aside for garnish.

Hot Chili Sauce

Heat the broth and soak the chilies until they are softened. Puree the whole chilies with the soaking liquid and set aside.

Assembly

Ladle the hot soup into six bowls. Add a dollop of crema and a few drops of chili sauce and serve.
Serves 6

Pumpkin Facts

• The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.


• Almost the entire pumpkin is edible. The seeds can be roasted as a snack, the flowers are often stuffed or used in soup, and the flesh is a common ingredient in many dishes.


• Pumpkins are a member of the vine crop called cucurbits. While the plant originated in Central America, the name comes from the Greek word pepon or large melon.

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