Chicken and Pumpkin Curry Soup

Well, now that it has been about a year and a half since my last post, and it is autumn and all, I decided it was time to turn over a new leaf (har har!) and pick this blog back up again. I apologize for the mass starvation of single twenty-somethings I most likely caused in my absence.

There is something special and unique about the fall season...days when it is 25 F in the morning and 65 F in the afternoon that leave you utterly perplexed as to what to wear to work...irritation at all the evergreen trees in your neighborhood and their uninspiring lack of festivity...and the sudden explosion of pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING!!

Between September and November, the sight of pumpkin flavored anything on a menu makes us squeal with delight and take out our wallets. Starbucks in particular capitalizes on this...check out some gag-inducing copy from their website on their famous Pumpkin Spice Latte:

"The ideal vision of fall: bright days that grow cool and call for warm knits as we walk under leaves that curl red and gold in a soft wind."



Sweet Jesus. I don't even know where to begin with that.

Anyways, in keeping with this festive time of year, I bring you my Chicken and Pumpkin Curry Soup. I can assure you the chicken is as tender as a warm autumn fire with your loved ones, the cauliflower as crisp and crunchy as fallen leaves under foot, and the thick creamy soup spiced as warmly as flannel pajamas on a chilly October night.

(See Starbucks? I can do it too!)


Ingredients:

• 2 large handfuls of diced frozen chicken. Huge time saver to buy a big bag of this stuff! Pre-cooked so you don't have to worry about salmonella, pre-cut so you don't have to worry about slicing off your finger...hell, it's practically pre-eaten for you!

• 1 bag of frozen cauliflower florets. Adds nice texture to the soup.

• 1 cup of frozen diced onion. Can you tell I rely on my freezer a lot?

• 1 can of chicken broth

• 1 can of lite coconut milk. The regular kind has a STAGGERING amount of fat in it--you have been warned.

• 1 can of pumpkin. It's like autumn in a can! Make sure the only ingredient on the can is pumpkin puree...don't buy the pumpkin pie filling stuff.

• 2 tbsp. of curry powder. More if ya like it hot!

• 1.5 tbsp. of cumin. Adds a smoky depth of flavor.

• 1.5 tbsp. of minced garlic. I use the bottled kind that lasts for eons in the fridge.

• 1 tbsp. of ginger. I used ground ginger powder, but you could use fresh as well.

• 1 tbsp. of cinnamon. Smell that folks? That's fall.

• 1 tbsp. of nutmeg. See above.

• A drizzle of olive oil

• Green onion to garnish. Optional.

This recipe makes about 3-4 servings, so you can enjoy it all week, torturing your coworkers or roommates with the tantalizing aromas of autumn.

Directions:

Heat a pot to medium high and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add in your frozen onions and minced garlic and saute until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add in all your spices (the curry powder, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg) and stir to combine with the onions and garlic for a couple minutes. Cooking the spices first before making the broth helps release their flavor and aroma.

DISCLAIMER: Stacy Chudwin assumes no liability for the lingering reek of curry in your household.

Add in your frozen diced chicken and frozen cauliflower, stirring to coat with the onion and spice mixture.

Let the frozen chicken and cauliflower saute in the onion and spice mixture for a few minutes. Then add your liquids (chicken broth, coconut milk, and pumpkin). Stir to combine everything, breaking up the thick pumpkin puree.

Turn down the heat to medium low and let the soup simmer until everything is heated through and the broth is thick and creamy. The longer it simmers the better!

Ladle into a bowl, garnish with green onion if so desired, and enjoy your sweet, savory, and lightly spicy autumn meal.

What's YOUR favorite pumpkin-flavored something this fall? Drop me a line in the comments section!