Pumpkin season is here! That means bring on the PSL, aka Pumpkin Spice Lattes and all the desserts that scream pumpkin spice. Pumpkins are widely used in desserts. They are used equally in savory dishes such as pumpkin pasta, pumpkin hummus or in soups and stews.
Inspiration for my Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Savory Granola
My dad is a huge fan of pumpkin soup, with all the Indian spices, so this Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Savory Granola is inspired by him. During squash season in India, squash soup is a must in his diet.
We did not really grow up with pumpkin and it was never a craze in India as it is here. Soup and a spiced squash stew, eaten with plain white rice or rotis (Indian flatbread), is probably the only way we ate squash.
Hype over pumpkin recipes 🙂
After coming to the United States, I did not understand the hype over PSLs and all the pumpkin- related dishes in the grocery stores, restaurants and food magazines. Why is this vegetable so popular?! My husband loves pumpkin pie, hence to understand him better through food, I slowly assimilated myself into the fall pumpkin culture.
I am not completely converted into a pumpkin dessert fan – but occasionally I do love a Pumpkin Chai Latte or a slice of pumpkin bread! I enjoy the savory pumpkin dishes like the pastas and raviolis, as well as soup – because of my childhood.
Fondest Fall memories
My fondest pumpkin memories have to be at the Pumpkin Patch – the several school trips with my then-elementary school-age children, visits with just us as a family, those train rides, sitting on the hay stacks and snapping memorable moments with the pumpkins of different sizes and colors, all the pumpkin carving and mess that we made at home, and the pumpkin seeds that we roasted. spiced and devoured!
Let’s not forget dressing up the kiddos in cute little matching pumpkin pj’s! Because why not?
Ingredients for my Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Savory Granola
The ingredients for my Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Savory Granola are:
- Pie pumpkins
- White onion
- Garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- Spices: like cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, red chilli powder, smoked paprika and black pepper
- salt
- Vegetable stock
- Maple syrup
- Ginger
How to make the Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Savory Granola
This Indian-style Roasted Pumpkin Soup starts off with roasting the pumpkin, onions and garlic at 425 degrees with olive oil and earthy spices like cumin, coriander, garam masala, red chile powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, black pepper and salt. Once the pumpkin is roasted, the soup takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.
I simply add the roasted ingredients, along with vegetable stock, maple syrup and ground ginger in a high-speed blender to puree it. Ginger adds a beautiful warmth and flavor to the soup. Then pour it into a pot and simmer with heavy cream until ready to serve. It is really that simple!
Why should you make the Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Savory Granola?
The Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Savory Granola is:
- Simple and easy
- Oven does all the work
- Minimal usage of the stove
- Gluten-free
- Full of nutrients
- Full of good-for-you spices, that help to nourish the body
- Cozy, comforting and full of flavor
Savory Granola – the star of the soup!
The star of this soup is the Savory Granola, which is addictive. It consists of rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, nuts and spices like dried rosemary, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, maple syrup and olive oil. Mix it all together and bake at a low temperature of 300 degrees for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through to mix. The granola clusters are delicious as is.
Other uses of the savory granola
Apart from soups, it can be used with Greek yogurt for a savory spin or as a crunchy topping for an elevated avocado toast. The granola can be prepared a day or a week in advance.
It consists of rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, nuts and spices like dried rosemary, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, maple syrup and olive oil. Mix it all together and bake at a low temperature of 300 degrees for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through to mix. The granola clusters are delicious as is.
Add the fried sage leaves if you fancy it on your soup. But the granola topping is a must!
Can I make the soup in advance? And how do I store it?
The soup can be made 2-3 days in advance. Cool it and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. The soup will thicken in the fridge. So add water and heat it in a pan, on the gas stove before serving.
How do I store the leftovers?
The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
How long does the savory granola last?
The savory granola will last for about 2 weeks. Use it on greek yogurt, or as a crunchy topping on avocado toast. Or eat it as is.
Other easy fall-ish recipes to make from the blog are:
- Butternut Squash, Mushroom and Fontina Pasta Bake
- Hearty Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash
- Garlicky Green Beans and Tofu
If you make the recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog!
XO
Amisha
Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Savory Granola
Ingredients
Savory Granola
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup raw walnuts and almonds, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin
- ~3.5 pounds pie pumpkin (roughly 2 small pie pumpkins)
- 1 large white onion, cut into quarters
- 5–6 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons + 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
Garnish
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Fried sage leaves (optional)
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method:
Savory Granola:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- On a quarter sheet pan, add all the ingredients and mix well to combine. Lay flat on the baking sheet and bake for a total of 30 minutes, stirring the mixture and flattening it again on the 15-minute mark.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Indian Spiced Roasted Pumpkin Soup:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Trim both ends of the pumpkins. Cut into quarters.
- Place the pumpkin quarters skin-side down on a large baking sheet, along with the onions and garlic.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chile powder, garam masala, smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 ½ teaspoons table salt and mix to combine.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the pumpkin, onions and garlic with the spiced oil mixture.
- Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove and let cool to touch.
- Spoon off the squash, removing and discarding the skin. Add the squash to a high-speed blender, along with the roasted onions and garlic.
- Add the 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 ½ teaspoons table salt, vegetable stock, maple syrup and ground ginger and blend until well combined.
- Pour into a large heavy-bottomed pot, on medium heat. If the soup is too thick, add 1 cup of water at a time and check on the consistency. You can keep it thick or make it slightly thinner depending upon your preference. Bring the soup to a boil, and boil for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream.
- Serve immediately with the savory granola and fried sage leaves.
Note: Soup can be stored in an airtight container or deli containers for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer.
Notes
Can I make the soup in advance? And how do I store it?
- The soup can be made 2-3 days in advance. Cool it and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. The soup will thicken in the fridge. So add water and heat it in a pan, on the gas stove before serving.
How do I store the leftovers?
- The leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
How long does the savory granola last?
- The savory granola will last for about 2 weeks. Use it on greek yogurt, or as a crunchy topping on avocado toast. Or eat it as is.
