Sunday, September 16, 2012

Pumpkin Soup & Rosemary Flatbread

Sure signs of autumn are the dropping temps, wilting wildflowers, and pumpkins brightening the grocery stores. I bought my first sugar pumpkin of the season yesterday and raced home to make this nourishing soup that really packs some heat! The accompanying rosemary flatbread is a household favorite — it's a tasty replacement for the excessive amount of corn chips we eat. (Note: Both recipes are super flexible; you can swap out and add whatever you like to the base recipes.) 

Pumpkin Jalapeño Soup 
  • 2.5 c. pumpkin purée (from 1 small sugar pumpkin)
  • 2.5 c. water
  • 1 tsp. coconut oil
  • 1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
  • 1 Tbsp. curry powder
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh ginger (grated)
  • 1 small jalapeño pepper (seeded, veined, and diced)
  • 4 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds, or pepitas (for garnish)
Wash pumpkin, slice in half, and remove seeds and stringy pulp. Place pumpkin halves face-down in shallow baking pan with 2 cups of water; bake at 350° for ~ 45 min.-1 hour (or until flesh is soft when pierced with a fork). When done, allow pumpkin to cool and drain off any excess water. Spoon out soft flesh and discard skin. In food processor, purée 2.5 cups of baked pumpkin flesh, 2.5 cups of water, curry powder, ginger and jalapeño.

On low heat in saucepan, brown onions in coconut oil on stovetop. Add pumpkin mix to saucepan and bring soup to a simmer; reduce heat and warm for 10 minutes. Pour into bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. Optional garnishes: a swirl of plain yogurt and a squeeze of lime.

Gluten-Free Rosemary Flatbread
  • 1 c. almond flour/meal (or, use raw almonds and simply grind to flour consistency in coffee grinder)
  • 1/2 c. sesame seeds (1/4 ground to flour; 1/4 unground)
  • 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary (ground) — (or, use 1 Tbsp. whole caraway seeds)
  • 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • pinch of sea salt 
  • 1 egg
  • Optional: May wish to sprinkle rolled-out dough with sea salt prior to baking
In mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Add egg to mix and blend thoroughly with a fork. Dough should be moist enough to pack into a ball. If too moist, dough will stick to the parchment — add more almond flour as needed to get the right consistency. If too dry, add a little more egg white. You may need a friend for this part: Using a rolling pin on the countertop, roll out dough between two 9"x12" pieces of parchment paper (roll tortilla-thin). Peel off top-most parchment layer and discard. Place dough and base parchment layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cut or break into ~3"x3" pieces and allow to cool on baking racks. Variations: This recipe is versatile; play with your own favorite herbs, spices, nuts and seeds (e.g. flax seed, anise, etc.) and make it your own!