October is almost over and that means just one thing – Halloween is very close! I personally have never celebrated Halloween because in the countries, where I’ve lived, it has not been popular. So, for me Halloween doesn’t mean spooky outfits and lots of candies. For me Halloween is a beginning of the pumpkin season! And to celebrate that I made a delicious and creamy vegan pumpkin soup with roasted chickpeas and broccoli.
On the Internet there are so many pumpkin soup recipes! But I wanted to create something different. Something that contains a very specific topping that is different from the traditional pumpkin seeds or chopped herbs. And that’s why I decided to add to my pumpkin soup roasted chickpeas and broccoli. But not only that! To get some extra flavor, I decided to roast both chickpeas and broccoli together with garlic. And that’s how my creamy vegan pumpkin soup with roasted chickpeas and broccoli got its slightly spicy note. Of course, you can use this recipe also to prepare just the soup without the toppings. In any case the soup will do its purpose – warm up your belly with something delicious!
Why include pumpkin in your daily menu
Pumpkin usually appears in big quantities in food markets when it starts to get cold. And that’s great because this wonderful vegetable can be very useful for our immune system. Pumpkins contain good amount of vitamin C that helps in strengthening our immune system, as well as great amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A is also good for the immune system, but mostly it’s very useful to keep our vision sharp. Besides the aforementioned vitamins pumpkins contain also other vitamins, like B2, E and B9. And of course, also some minerals, for example, potassium, copper, manganese, iron and others. Even though this recipe doesn’t require many ingredients, the ones that it contains can all be classified as healthy and nutritious. Exactly what we need for the upcoming winter season!
If for some reason you’re not that into pumpkin flavor, but you really crave some warming soup that is very easy to make, I can suggest you my creamy vegan potato leek soup. It’s very delicious, very filling and quick to make. But instead if pumpkin is not your enemy, definitely try also this creamy vegan pumpkin soup with roasted chickpeas and broccoli.
How to prepare creamy vegan pumpkin soup with roasted chickpeas and broccoli
Probably it’s easier to prepare the pumpkin soup itself rather than the chickpeas and broccoli. So, as I already mentioned before, if you’re short in time, just prepare the soup and enjoy it without the toppings. But if instead you have time, definitely try it together with the garlicky chickpeas and broccoli. At the end it’s not that you’ll lose much more time. In any case you’ll need to wait until the pumpkin, garlic cloves and onion pieces are boiled before you can blend them. So, use that time wisely – mix together broccoli, garlic and oil and place it in the oven for a few minutes. Then mix together completely dried chickpeas with oil, garlic and salt and again place it in the oven for about 15 – 20 minutes. At the end blend the boiled ingredients, add coconut milk and top it with roasted chickpeas and broccoli!
Why the chickpeas may explode in the oven
If your chickpeas aren’t completely dry, they might explode in the oven. Sounds scary (what did you expect? This is a Halloween week recipe, ha ha!), but it’s not that big of a deal. Actually, the biggest issue is the fact that, while the chickpeas pop like a popcorn, they make the oven dirty. In order to avoid that, make sure to dry them very carefully. I usually rinse off the aquafaba, shake the water drops off and then place the chickpeas on a paper towel. Then from time to time with another sheet of paper towel I roll them over and pat on them to remove as much water as possible. But in any case, when you take them out of the oven, be cautious! Don’t put your face close to the roasted chickpeas immediately after they’re ready.
Specky doesn’t eat pumpkin. Actually, while I was preparing this recipe, he saw the pumpkin for the first time in his life. So, for him it was a bit of an adventure to understand what is this orange round thingy that is almost as big as him. His exploration went on for a while until he decided that it’s time for a nap!
While for Specky it was time to get some rest, for you it’s time to prepare this pumpkin soup with roasted chickpeas and broccoli that is:
-
vegan
- creamy
- easy to make
- flavorful
- warming
- healthy
- garlicky
- filling
- nutritious
- perfect for Halloween
- and simply yummy!
Let me know, if you try this recipe! Leave a comment or even more – make Specky happy! Snap a picture of your masterpiece and post it on Instagram or Facebook by tagging @bunnymommycooks. And feel free to let your animal family members join in the picture!
| Prep Time | 15 min |
| Cook Time | 30 min |
| Servings |
|
- 800 g of pumpkin (without skin and seeds)
- 1 onion (~175 g)
- 6 cloves of garlic (each clove ~4 g; 1 for broccoli, 2 for chickpeas and 3 for soup)
- 35 g of broccoli florets (without stems)
- 65 g of canned or cooked chickpeas
- 100 ml of full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (half for broccoli, half for chickpeas)
- pinch of salt
- 800 ml of water
Ingredients
|
|
- heat the oven to 200°C/390°F;
- rinse the chickpeas, place them on a paper towel and by placing another sheet of paper towel on top carefully roll them around to remove as much water as possible. Set them aside for later to dry even more;
- separate the broccoli florets into very small pieces, place them in a bowl, add oil and crushed garlic and mix it well;
- line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the broccoli with garlic on it, then place it in the oven and cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until the broccoli pieces start to turn a bit brown;
- while the broccoli is cooking, put water to boil. Clean the onion and garlic and cut them in smaller pieces. Cut also the pumpkin flesh in smaller pieces. When the water starts to boil, put onion, garlic and pumpkin pieces in it and boil for 15 – 20 minutes or until soft;
- once the broccoli is ready, take them out from the oven and let them cool down. Meanwhile put in a bowl dried chickpeas, add oil, a pinch of salt and crushed garlic. Mix everything well, place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and put the tray in the oven. Roast the chickpeas for 15 – 20 minutes, then take them out and let them cool down a bit. (Important! Be aware that if you didn’t dry the chickpeas good enough, they might explode in the oven by making it dirty);
- when the pumpkin, onion and garlic pieces are soft, take them off the flame/heat and by using an immersion blender or a food processor blend the vegetables together with the leftover boiling water until you get a creamy soup;
- add to the soup coconut milk and blend it in. Adjust the flavor to your taste by adding some salt;
- serve warm with roasted chickpeas and broccoli.
