Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Coconut & Frizzled Shallots

Instructions

• 1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Use a heavy, sharp knife to halve the squash. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Place the squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet, face down and bake for 45 minutes or more, until fork tender. Set the squash aside until it is cool enough to handle. When cool, peel the skin away from the squash flesh. You should have about 3 packed cups of roasted squash.
• 2. While your squash is roasting, warm the coconut oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottom soup pot. When the oil is warmed, add the garlic, shallots, and ginger, and sauté in the oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and cook another minute.
• 3. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the shallots are beginning to really soften. Add the curry powder and crumble in the red chili pepper (sub chili powder). Cook for another minute, and then add the squash. Turn the heat back up to medium and cook the squash mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 4. Stir in the coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a light simmer. Lower the heat and cover the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• 5. Turn the heat off and puree the soup with a hand blender, or in a regular blender, in batches. Season with sea salt and stir in the juice of the lime.
• 6. For the toppings (optional): Heat a large skillet (now would be the time to use a cast iron) over medium heat and add the shredded coconut. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the coconut is lightly toasted and tan. Immediately pour the coconut out onto a plate.
• 7. Wipe the skillet out with a paper towel and return to medium heat. Add the coconut oil. When the oil is quite hot, add the thinly sliced shallots. Cook in the oil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until their edges just begin to turn brown. Stir often. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet. You don’t want to crowd the shallot pieces, they need space in order to brown. Remove the shallots out of the oil with a slotted spoon, and put on a plate lined with a paper towel to cool.
• 8. Both the coconut and fried shallots can be kept for up to a few days in an airtight sealed container.

• Servings : 8
• Recipe Type : Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Soups & Stews, Vegetarian