When the days grow shorter and the leaves change color, there is nothing quite like a bowl of steaming pumpkin soup. The rich, mild flavor of pumpkin combined with warm spices brings instant coziness to the table. Perfect for a cozy evening at home, an autumnal dinner or an atmospheric Halloween party.

And ... it's almost Halloween! With a little twist, transform this pumpkin soup into a spooky showstopper. Perfect for a spooky cozy dinner party or a Halloween party!

Ingredients

• 1 medium pumpkin (about 1 kg)
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 750 ml of vegetable stock
• 150 ml of cooking cream or coconut milk
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Olive Oil
• Pepper and salt to taste
• Fresh parsley or cilantro (garnish)
• Pumpkin seeds (toasted, topping)
• Rustic bread or baguette (side dish)

Supplies 

• Soup pan
• Cutting board and knife
• Hand blender or blender
• Soup spoon
• Skewer (for the Halloween decoration)

Preparation

• Peel the pumpkin, remove seeds and dice the flesh
• Chop the onion and finely chop the garlic. Sauté this in a soup pan with some olive oil. 
• Add the diced pumpkin and cook briefly with the spices. 
• Pour in the broth and simmer for 20 minutes until the squash is tender. 
• Puree the soup smooth with a hand blender or blender. 
• Stir in the cooking cream or coconut milk and season with some nutmeg, pepper and salt. 
• Halloween twist: pour three circles of coconut milk into the soup, from small to large. Using a skewer, draw lines from the center to the edge for a spider web. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top. 
• Serve the soup hot with crusty bread.

Enjoy your spooky homemade Halloween pumpkin soup!