2tablespoonscorn starchcan omit for a thinner soup
2tablespoonsavocado oilsubstitute apple cider if needed
1tablespoonbalsamic vinegar
1tablespoonlight brown sugar
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1/2teaspoonnutmeg
1/2teaspoonsage
1/2teaspoonground ginger
sea salt and black pepperto taste
For Serving
crispy sage leaves
toasted french bread
Instructions
In a large pot, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, cubed potatoes and minced garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Next, add in the white wine, balsamic vinegar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, sage, and ground ginger. Sauté for another 5 minutes until white wine has reduced.
Add in the pumpkin puree, vegan chicken broth and water and stir. Reduce the heat slightly, add the lid, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
After simmering, turn off the heat, and blend your soup until smooth with an immersion blender. If you do not have an immersion blender, carefully transfer soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Be sure to leave ample room in a blender as heat expands.
Once smooth, stir in a corn starch slurry to thicken (I do 2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water). If you do not mix the corn starch with water before adding it to the soup, it will be clumpy.
Finally, stir in 1/2 cup of coconut cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Optional crispy sage leaves: If you want to top the soup with crispy sage, add 2-4 tablespoons of oil to a skillet and allow to get hot. Once hot, add in the sage leaves and fry them in the oil. This will only take a couple of minutes and they will darken in color. Once crispy, remove from oil and drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
Serve soup immediately with warm french bread and crispy sage leaves, if desired.
Storage: Store leftover servings of soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Notes
If you want to make this recipe with fresh pumpkin, I recommend substituting the pumpkin puree with 4 cups of cubed sugar pie pumpkin. Add the cubed pumpkin in at the same time as you would the pumpkin puree and simmer the cubes in the soup for the 20 minutes.