Pumpkins are everywhere, so why not put them in a spicy fall soup?

It’s definitely fall in Memphis. One way I can tell is that there are pumpkins everywhere I look — on my neighbors’ porches, in the grocery stores, and at farmers markets. Pumpkin food options are also plentiful right now, as recipes for pumpkin cookies and pumpkin bread crowd magazine pages, and pumpkin coffee drinks have made their annual fall appearance.

With all this pumpkin in the air, I went looking for a new pumpkin recipe to try, and I found the delicious pumpkin soup I have included in today’s column, perfect for this time of year.

Pumpkin is not only versatile and tasty, but also quite nutritious. The bright orange flesh is a giveaway that pumpkin includes high amounts of beta carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in our bodies, as needed. In fact, just a half-cup serving includes three times the beta carotene needed to hit the mark for the recommended daily amount of vitamin A for adults. Beta carotene may also offer its own protection against certain types of cancer. And pumpkin is low in calories too, at only 40 per half-cup.

The coconut milk in today’s recipe makes the soup creamier, although it isn’t anything like a heavy cream soup. It balances the shallots, garlic and spices with its subtle sweetness. Although this recipe calls for the light version of coconut milk, there is still a significant amount of saturated fat because it’s made from coconuts. The saturated fat in coconuts comes primarily in the in the form of lauric acid. Some studies show lauric acid to be less atherogenic than other fatty acids, while others suggest it may even act as an anti-viral and antimicrobial substance, helping the body’s immune system do its job. While all saturated fatty acids may not deserve the bad rap they have gotten through the years, it is still prudent not to go overboard eating them. However, small amounts, within the context of an overall healthy diet, don’t seem to be a health issue for most of us.

This soup is savory and delicious, and it makes a nice base for a light meal. You can make it as spicy or hot as you like. The original recipe called for the addition of maple syrup and traditionally sweet spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg. I wasn’t looking for a sweet soup, so I substituted different spices.

The original recipe also called for cooking small pie pumpkins, and using the pureed cooked flesh for the pumpkin puree called for here. This is a great option if you have time, or if you need to cook the pumpkins on your porch that are part of your fall decorations. I elected to use canned pumpkin puree instead, and this worked fine. But you will probably have leftover pumpkin, as well as leftover coconut milk, because the amount called for in this recipe isn’t the exact amount that is in the cans. No worries. I used these up by mixing some of the pumpkin with a little of the coconut milk, stirred in a couple of tablespoons of rolled oats, and added maple syrup and cinnamon. It made a delicious sort of breakfast porridge. I ate it cold, so that the oatmeal was more like a European muesli, rather than a traditional hot bowl of oatmeal. You could certainly pop it into the microwave for a couple of minutes, to hydrate the oatmeal and make it more of the consistency you might be used to.

This is an easy recipe to make, even on a weeknight. The optional Garlic Kale Sesame topping takes just a few more minutes and offers a nice garnish to this soup. It’s a contrast in color, with the dark green of the kale against the rust-colored soup, and the slight bitterness of the greens also complements the spicy, slightly sweet flavor.