Carrot and Pumpkin Spice Soup

De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.

Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.

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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 6 large carrots, scrubbed and peeled
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 small dried hot chili pepper (You can sub for ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes if you don’t have a chili pepper.)
  • 1 can pure pumpkin
  • 1 can lite coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • (Optional) Sesame oil for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Lay the carrots and onion quarters on a sheet pan. Top with the olive oil, maple syrup and 1.5 teaspoons of the allspice (Set the remaining ½ teaspoon aside, as it will go into the broth for another layer of flavor!). Massage the mixture into the carrots, until they are completely coated. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the carrots are lightly caramelized and cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with the stock, ginger, chili pepper, and remaining allspice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  4. Once the vegetables are cooked, add them to the pot.
  5. Add the pumpkin, coconut milk, and cinnamon as well. Stir to combine. Allow the soup to come to a gentle boil.
  6. Remove from heat, and puree using an immersion blender (Or place in a regular blender, and pulse in batches. Be careful as the hot liquid can explode!)
  7. Drizzle with sesame oil, if desired.
Notes
Depending upon the sweetness of your carrots, you may want to add an additional tablespoon of maple syrup to the soup, at the end of cooking.
From jjbegonia.com