Making your own soup might seem like a labor of love, but once you demystify it, soup can really just be a bunch of roasted veggies and some broth blended together. This means that the possibilities are endless, and soup is the perfect food to get creative because you can also add toppings, like homemade rosemary thyme-infused oil made in the ONGROK Botanical Infuser Machine. I also use some of the herb oil in the soup itself, providing a lovely herbaceous nature that goes perfectly with creamy pumpkin.
If you’re looking for another texture to add to your dish, try these polenta croutons on for size! All you have to do is prepare polenta, spread the mixture in your ONGROK silicone gummy molds, and chill until set. I throw mine straight into the air fryer to crisp up, or you can toast them in your oven. Then unleash your inner Picasso and garnish your soup to make a starry starry night of coconut cream, herb oil, and fun star and moon-shaped polenta croutons…then enjoy!
Pumpkin Soup with Polenta Croutons & Rosemary Thyme-Infused Oil
- ONGROK 4-piece Grinder
- ONGROK stainless steel decarboxylation container
- ONGROK Botanical Infuser Machine
- ONGROK Micron Filter Bag
- ONGROK Silicone Mini Molds
- ONGROK Silicone droppers
For the rosemary thyme-infused oil
- 20 g fresh rosemary
- 10 g fresh thyme
- 1 cup avocado oil
- 1 tbsp ONGROK sunflower lecithin
For the soup
- 1 sugar pie pumpkin, gutted and sliced in quarters
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded & quartered
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 head garlic, sliced in half
- 2 tbsp rosemary thyme-infused oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 cups broth of choice ((I used chicken))
- ⅓ cup coconut cream
For the polenta croutons
- 1 ½ cups water
- ½ cup corn grits
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, vegan or regular
For the rosemary thyme-infused oil
Preheat oven to 230℉. Grind rosemary and thyme in your ONGROK 4-piece grinder. Spread in an even layer across the bottom of your ONGROK stainless steel container. Place lid on your container but don’t close the latches. Make sure airlock is closed. Put the container in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Remove ONGROK stainless steel container from the oven with ONGROK silicone oven mini gloves. Open airlock by slightly pulling up on the silicon knob. Let herbs cool slightly.
Transfer ground herbs to the base of your ONGROK Botanical Infuser machine, along with avocado oil. Add 1 scoop of sunflower lecithin. Give the mixture a quick stir. Put lid on and set temperature to 160℉. Press the 1 hour button for infused oil and let the machine run through its cycle.
Once oil is done, strain mixture through ONGROK Micron Filter Bag into a bowl. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a dropper bottle with the mini funnel.
For the polenta croutons
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, add salt, pepper, and grits. Turn heat to low, and cook for 20-25 minutes uncovered, stirring frequently.
Add shredded cheese to grits. Stir together until cheese is melted.
Transfer grits mixture to silicone mini molds. Place in the fridge to cool for 2 hours, or overnight.
Preheat air fryer or oven. Remove chilled polenta from mini molds. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Air fry or bake until crispy. Serve on top of soup.
For the soup
Increase oven temperature to 450℉. Add pumpkin, onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and garlic to an oven-safe baking dish. Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and olive oil. Toss until combined.
Transfer veggies to the oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender.
Let pumpkin cool slightly. Remove rind.
Transfer roasted veggies to the base of your ONGROK Botanical Infuser machine. Squeeze garlic out of the head. Add vegetable broth, coconut cream, infused olive oil. You can add more vegetable broth for a thinner soup if that’s your preference.
Blend in your ONGROK Botanical Infuser machine on BLEND one cycle, or until smooth.
Once smooth, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer soup to a bowl and drizzle with coconut cream. Drizzle soup with rosemary thyme-infused olive oil, and top with polenta croutons.
Annie Trimber 