Smoked Pumpkin Bisque with Cashew Cream

Smoked Pumpkin Bisque with Cashew Cream

This was a game changer for me and fresh pumpkin. See, I'm not so much into baking, but I absolutely love cooking, and I had my hands on some heirloom pumpkins I wanted to play around with. So...into the smoker they went! I simply cut 3 medium size pumpkins in half, skin, seeds, and all, and chucked them in a smoker with Applewood Chips for 5 hours. The result? A slightly smoky, slightly sweet, easy to puree pumpkin that is perfect for soups, curries, stews, chili and more!

Yield: 4 Servings

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped 

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground sage 

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (optional) 

3 cups vegetable broth 

3 cups smoked pumpkin puree* 

3/4 cashew cream (see recipe below) 

salt and pepper to taste 

*If you are not smoking your own fresh pumpkin, you can replace with 1 (15 oz) can plain pumpkin puree and add in 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke instead. 

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes. 

Add in the paprika, cinnamon, sage, chipotle, broth, and pumpkin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or carefully transfer the soup to a table top blender) blend until smooth. Add in the cashew cream and stir to combine. 

 Serve with a swirl of Cashew Cream, a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, and a pinch of paprka as garnish. 

 

Cashew Cream

This simple recipe can be used as a base for many recipes, whether using to add a creamy texture to soups, or on it's own as a condiment. You can add different flavorings (vanilla for sweet applications, lime and cilantro for savory applications, for example) to suit your needs. 

Raw cashews 

Water 

Soak desired amount of cashews in water overnight. Rinse. Add to blender, add water to blend. More water for a thinner cream, less for a thicker cream. Add additional flavorings as desired.