As your guest arrive for Thanksgiving, it is always nice to have a little something to warm them up and wet their appetites before the big feast. Keep it simple and light, you don’t want them to fill up on a lot of heavy food and not be able to enjoy the meal.
Two of my favorites to serve are a pumpkin soup and roasted nuts. There’s something about serving soup first that calms people down and allows them to take in the warmth of the Thanksgiving table before the “stuffing” really starts. It’s something that you eat slowly and savor, but it doesn’t fill you up. And then with nuts, those are always great finger foods to eat while you chat or watch the big game. Round off your appetizer spread with a fresh veggie and hummus platter, and warmed Brie cheese with apple slices and crispy bread sticks.
Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Let me know if you make these for your guests or share your own recipes!
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2 shallots, diced
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken stock ( or vegetable stock for vegan option)
- ½ cup heavy cream (or ½ cup full fat coconut milk for vegan option)
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar (or honey if not vegan)
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg
- 1. To a large saucepan over medium heat add 1 Tbsp olive oil, shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned and translucent. Turn down heat if cooking too quickly.
- 2. Add pumpkin, chicken stock, fresh thyme, maple syrup, and seasonings and bring to a simmer.
- 3. Simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
- 4. Transfer soup mixture to a blender or use an emulsion blender to puree the soup. If using a blender, place a towel over the top of the lid before mixing to avoid any accidents. Pour mixture back into pot.
- 5. Bring soup to boil again, reduce to simmer. Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
- 6. Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley or toasted pumpkin seeds.
- Soup can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat until hot, do not bring back to a boil.
- Vegetable Oil or Coconut Oil
- 8 cups unsalted mixed whole nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, cashews and almonds
- 4 tablespoons of melted butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
- Kosher salt
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil or coconut oil.
- 2. Combine the nuts with melted butter, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, chipotle powder and cinnamon on the sheet pan; toss to coat. Add 2 tablespoons of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.
- 3. Spread the nuts in one layer. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.
- 4. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary. Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning.
- 5. Serve warm or cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to a week.
