Miso Pumpkin Soup and Easy Biscuits

It's soup season! Time for one pot wonders, cozy dinners, and just about anything that you can make with pumpkin. Cans of pumpkin have become a staple in my kitchen right now, because all I want to do is make things that have pumpkin in them. I think you will agree that this delicious soup will make pumpkin converts of us all. 

original recipe via the kitchn.com 

Additionally, I served these with some delicious, easy biscuits. This soup is perfect for dipping, so I highly recommend any sort of bread with it, although the biscuits were pretty darn tasty. 

original recipe via cooking light.com 

Grocery list items: 

1 large can pumpkin 

sweet potatoes (1 huge or 2 medium) 

fresh ginger 

miso paste 

scallions 

Did you know canned pumpkin is actually not pumpkin? It's really a variety of squash, more like butternut. But since pumpkins are squash anyway, I'm pretty much an equal opportunist. It tastes delicious, and you just can't beat the convenience of pre-pureed pumpkin. 

Miso Pumpkin Soup 

1 large can pumpkin 

2 medium sweet potatoes (or 1 huge yam) 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, chopped 

1 inch-long piece of ginger, peeled and minced 

3 tbsp miso paste (can use white, yellow, red) 

1 vegetable bouillon cube 

6 cups water 

salt + pepper

2 scallions, chopped 

Start with your sweet potatoes. You're going to use your microwave, hooray! It's just so much faster than any other method of cooking potatoes. To prepare them, scrub them under running water, then poke them with several holes all over. Wrap them in paper towel, and cook on high for 10-12 min, depending on the size of the potatoes.  You will know they are done because they feel soft to the touch. You will also be easily able to scoop them out of the skin. Chop any big pieces, to make blending easier. 

While the sweet potatoes are in the microwave, start the rest of your recipe. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger in olive oil until soft. Then add the miso, bouillon and 3 cups of water. Stir to dissolve the miso, but try not to bring the soup to a boil, because this can denature it. Now add the can of pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Stir well and cook for 5-10 min. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender in batches, puree the soup to a smooth consistency. It will be very thick, so add more water periodically to thin it and make it more soup-like. Simmer soup until heated through. 

Add salt and pepper, and you're ready to serve! Top with a few chopped scallions and a sprinkle of paprika. 

It's pretty irresistible to dip into this soup, so luckily I have a recipe for some easy biscuits to keep it healthy. You can also find the recipe here.

Easy Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups very cold milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together milk and lemon juice to create "buttermilk". Put it in the fridge to ensure it stays cold.

Melt butter in a microwave safe dish for about a minute, or until completely melted. Go about 15 seconds at a time so it doesn't explode (like in this picture. You do NOT want to clean that mess up.)

Drizzle slowly into the cold buttermilk, stirring until little clumps of butter form. Stir in the olive oil.
With a rubber spatula,  fold milk and butter mixture into the flour mixture, until they are just combined.

Drop about 2 tbsp at a time of biscuit dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 11 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm.

Miso Pumpkin Soup and Easy Biscuits 
Miso Pumpkin Soup 
1 large can pumpkin
2 medium sweet potatoes (or 1 huge yam)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 inch-long piece of ginger, peeled and minced
3 tbsp miso paste (can use white, yellow, red)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
6 cups water
salt + pepper
paprika
2 scallions, chopped
Directions: 
1. To prepare sweet potatoes, scrub them under running water, then poke them with several holes all over.
2. Wrap them in paper towel, and microwave on high for 10-12 min, depending on the size of the potatoes.  They are done when they feel soft to the touch.
3. Scoop sweet potatoes out of skin and chop any large pieces.
4. While the sweet potatoes are in the microwave, sauté onions, garlic, and ginger in olive oil until soft.
5. Add the miso, bouillon and 3 cups of water. Stir to dissolve the miso, but try not to bring the soup to a boil, because this can denature it.
6. Add the can of pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Stir well and cook for 5-10 min.
7. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender in batches, puree the soup to a smooth consistency. It will be very thick, so add more water periodically to thin it and make it more soup-like.
8. Simmer soup until heated through. Add salt and pepper, and top with a few chopped scallions and a sprinkle of paprika.

Easy Biscuits 
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups very cold milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients.
3. Mix lemon juice into milk and let stand in the refrigerator.
4. In the microwave, melt butter, using 15 second increments and stirring in between.
5. Drizzle melted butter slowly into cold buttermilk, stirring to form tiny clumps.
6. Add olive oil and stir.
7. Fold wet ingredients into dry, until just combined.
8. Drop 2 tbsp at a time of batter onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm with soup.