Recipe: Curried Pumpkin Soup

As more people look to eat healthy food there’s an ever increasing focus on heart healthy plant based wonders of raw food and vegan cooking.

Mark Reinfeld, chef extraordinaire and best-selling author of numerous Vegan cookbooks, including the recent 30 Minute Vegan series, has created a new Vegan Fusion Culinary Academy which offers a variety of classes in the cooking of vegan and raw food cuisine.

“Learning how to cook amazing raw, natural foods and tasty Vegan recipes isn’t hard,” says Reinfeld. “We synergize the elements of health, taste and presentation into culinary masterpieces that cannot be compared”.

Here’s a sample of some of the incredible recipes that are taught at the Academy, excerpted from The 30 Minute Vegan's Soups On:

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Serves 6 to 8

Creamy and satisfying, try this flavorful, fall themed soup, served in ornamental pumpkins and topped with Candied Pepitas.

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups vegetable stock or water
1 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
3/4 cup diced celery
1/2 teaspoon seeded and diced hot chile pepper
4 large garlic cloves
4 cups pumpkin, 1/2 inch chop
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (try toasting)
2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups soy creamer, coconut milk, soy milk or rice milk, or almond milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

PREPARATION:

1. Place the vegetable stock in a 3 quart pot over high heat. Add all of the ingredients except the soy creamer and cilantro, and cook until the pumpkin is just soft, approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the soy creamer, carefully transfer to a blender, and blend until creamy.

3. Return to the pot, add the cilantro and cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

Variations:
Replace the pumpkin with any squash such as butternut, acorn or buttercup. Replace the curry powder with 2 teaspoons of chile powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle chile powder for a Mexican theme.