Jamaican Coconut-Pumpkin Soup

This velvety seductive coconut soup was a favorite of mine on the island of Jamaica. I tried it at every restaurant and finally recreated it with this recipe...a combination of all of the ones that I loved! Try to find the Caribbean pumpkin (calabaza) if you can. It's green and not orange.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 243 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 4 cups chopped calabaza (Caribbean pumpkin)
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile pepper, stemmed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery, shallots, scallions, garlic, and carrot and cook until soft and just starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes, making sure not to brown.

Step 2

Add calabaza, chicken stock, thyme, bay leaves, Scotch bonnet chile pepper, and allspice to the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until pumpkin is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and season with sea salt and pepper.

Step 3

Puree soup using a hand blender until smooth. Return to a medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Stir in coconut milk and lime juice and let simmer to develop flavor, about 5 minutes. Serve.