Pour a steaming cup of sweet potato pumpkin bisque topped with cashew cream and watch your friends and family gather around the table. It’s sweet, spiced, and is sure to melt any of the November cold away once you take a bite of this delectable soup.
This recipe was one of those “oh man I just accidentally created something awesome” recipes. It was just an average Tuesday night in our household. My husband was working away at a new project at his desk and the dogs were asleep on our couch. It was the first day that the temperature really dropped in Chicago, which left me craving something warm and cozy for dinner.
Soup always comes to mind when the weather gets cold, but I didn’t have the typical array of soup-making materials at home. The grocery store trip I had planned for that didn’t happen and I was left with only a few items left in my pantry and fridge.
Hmmmm, well there’s always a guarantee for canned pumpkin, broth, cashews, and at least one sweet potato in our house at all times. So, I dove into our pantry, collected the ingredients for this spontaneous soup, and got to work. Only forty minutes later did I realize what an incredibly simple and delicious meal I had just created.
The soup was reminiscent of a bisque; creamy and flavorful. The scent of Indian spices permeated the apartment while I ladled each of us a bowl of creamy sweet potato soup with pumpkin .
Now, my husband is not one to oooh and ahhh over food. He knows what he likes, but isn’t overly obsessed with food and flavor like I am. So, when I saw him take the first bite and he stopped typing and looked up I knew this dish was a winner.
In fact, he’s such a fan of this new and easy creation that it’s been requested for dinner almost ten times since it made it’s first appearance.
Health Benefits of Pumpkin Bisque
Not only does this soup taste amazing, but it’s actually full of vitamins and minerals!
Mental Health Benefits
Do you know that pumpkin helps support mental functioning?
First off, pumpkin has a bunch of fiber, something you don’t have to worry about if you’re whole-foods plant-based. Fiber acts as a prebiotic in your gut, which actually has a huge connection with your mental health. A healthy micro biome can help with mental well-being.
Pumpkin also has lutein and zeaxathin (that’s fun to say right?). Anyway, both of these minerals can actually help boost brain function in adult by improving memory recall! Sounds good to me!
Lastly, when you're serving this pumpkin and sweet potato soup, make sure to add pumpkin seeds to the top! Why? Well, pumpkin seeds have tryptophan which can help you boost levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a natural mood stabilizer and helps aid in prevention of anxiety and depression.
No wonder why Fall is my favorite season! It must be all of the pumpkin!
Cashews for Cardiovascular Health
Cashews, another important ingredient in this dish, are super great for health. In fact, cashews are important for cardiovascular functioning. Specifically, cashews contain argenine. This amino-acid can actually help protect the lining of arterial walls! We know that this whole-foods plant-based soup is healthy for you, but it’s also such a breeze to make.
So how do you make this super easy bisque? And, it is super easy… my dogs could even make it. 😉
How to Make Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Bisque
STEP ONE
- The first thing you want to do is roast the Hannah’s sweet potatoes in the oven. Make sure you cube them first and toss them in a little olive oil, or just dry roast them on parchment paper if you would like to remove oil from the recipe.
WHAT ARE HANNAH SWEET POTATOES?
Unlike the typical orange sweet potato, the Hannah Sweet Potato is tan or cream colored. They are not as sweet and cook a little dryer, so they're also great mashed.
STEP TWO
2. In a small pot, boil cashews for ten minutes. Then drain them and blend on high with your cashew milk to make an amazing cashew cream.
STEP THREE
3. While the potatoes are roasting, begin sautéing the onions until they’re caramelized. Add in the spices next.
By sautéing the spices, you allow them to release their oils and become more infused and flavorful in your food. Extra bonus: they make your kitchen smell AMAZING!
STEP FOUR
4. When your Hannah’s sweet potatoes are soft and fragrant, remove them from the oven and add them to your onion and spice mixture. Toss in your canned pumpkin too and stir until everything is well combined.
STEP FIVE
5. Lastly, add the vegetable broth and cashew creme along with salt and pepper to taste. Blend your soup using a submersion blender or regular blender. Serve with some cashew creme and pepita seeds!
That's it, five easy steps and less than 45 minutes until you'll be able to sit down to a cozy, warm and delicious homemade vegan fall soup.
Make this and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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Sweet Potato-Pumpkin Curry Bisque - Gluten Free & Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 cups water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups unsweetened cashew milk
- 2 Hannah Sweet Potatoes (white sweet potatoes) peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or replace with vegetable broth/water for an oil free version
- 1 Vidalia onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 15 ounce pumpkin puree
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a small pot, boil the cashews with the water on high heat for ten minutes. After the cashews are done boiling, drain the cashews.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Put the cashews in a high speed blender along with the cashew milk and garlic cloves. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy, approximately three minutes.
- Take your cubed sweet potatoes and pop them onto a baking sheet with one tablespoon of olive oil. Make sure to toss the potatoes to make sure they're all coated. (For an oil free version, drop the olive oil and just place the sweet potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet)
- Put the potatoes in the oven and bake for 22 minutes. Toss half way through.
- In a large soup pot, add one tablespoon of olive oil and heat to medium heat.
- Once the oil is heated, add the onions and sauté until caramelized. This will take about six minutes.
- Once the onions are caramelized, add the curry, ginger, and cumin to the onions. Sauté for another two minutes so the spices can release their oils.
- Now add the roasted sweet potato and pumpkin puree to the pot. Stir the mixture until everything is well combined.
- Add the cashew cream and the vegetable broth to the pot and stir until well combined.
- Bring the mixture to a soft boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Let the mixture simmer together for fifteen minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste then blend with a submersion blender until completely smooth and creamy.
- Serve by topping the bisque with a little bit of cashew cream and pumpkin seeds.
Nutrition
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Yum, this recipe looks great, perfect for the chilly weather and I can't wait to try it. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks so much! Let us know what you think. 🙂