This recipe came from: https://www.closetcooking.com/pumpkin-and-chorizo-soup-with-cilantro/
*Pic 1 - https://www.closetcooking.com/pumpkin-and-chorizo-soup-with-cilantro/
Variations from Recipe as Written: We only made two changes to this one, but they were both pretty major. First, we could not find any Spanish chorizo (which is the firm, sausage-like chorizo, not the meltable, liquidy Mexican chorizo) at the local grocery store. So, instead we used raw linguiça sausage and added 1 tsp paprika and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to give it a more Spanish chorizo-like flavor. Second, we belatedly figured out that we forgot to get potatoes, so Rachel roasted and chopped about 2 cups of cauliflower as a substitute.General Thoughts: This soup had a much shorter ingredient list than the other soup we made this weekend. A little chop and sauté on the onions and garlic, and the extra work to facilitate the use of roasted cauliflower rather than potatoes, and that was about it for the prep. Pretty simple...
*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it
Potential Improvements? This one had a bunch of potential if we make a few tweaks... First, I'd swap the cauliflower out for the potatoes (sorry, Sis!), which should fix my texture issue and improve the taste, in my opinion. Second, it definitely needed some more spice. I think chopping a red Thai chile or two into the mix would help, as well as adding some acidity (with some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) to help cut the sweetness would be a plus. Third, using actual Spanish chorizo would be desirable. Finally, Rachel suggested that using coconut milk instead of heavy cream would serve to make it both more interesting to the palate and a little thinner.
One of the first things I noticed about this one was that is was considerably chunkier and appeared much thicker than the picture with the recipe, almost more stew-like. But, that did not necessarily bother me, as I have had some great tagine dishes that had a similar look and turned out to taste delicious. Each bite did have a substantial mouth-feel, but I was not thrilled with the texture, which was heavily influenced by the presence of the cauliflower. However, I think that would be moot with a switch backed to potatoes instead.
The taste was decent, presenting as fairly sweet at first bite. It seemed to get less and less sweet as I got deeper into my bowl, but that might have just been desensitization. Spoonfuls that contained chorizo (aka, our doctored linguiça) were savory and delicious, providing a bit of a bite, which was sorely needed. Overall, this recipe was a little bland and needed either some additional spiciness and/or something to provide a contrasting taste profile. The next day, Rachel ate some leftover, and poured some Thai panang curry in the bowl before heating it up; she said the result was a much more interesting flavor overall.
The taste was decent, presenting as fairly sweet at first bite. It seemed to get less and less sweet as I got deeper into my bowl, but that might have just been desensitization. Spoonfuls that contained chorizo (aka, our doctored linguiça) were savory and delicious, providing a bit of a bite, which was sorely needed. Overall, this recipe was a little bland and needed either some additional spiciness and/or something to provide a contrasting taste profile. The next day, Rachel ate some leftover, and poured some Thai panang curry in the bowl before heating it up; she said the result was a much more interesting flavor overall.
Potential Improvements? This one had a bunch of potential if we make a few tweaks... First, I'd swap the cauliflower out for the potatoes (sorry, Sis!), which should fix my texture issue and improve the taste, in my opinion. Second, it definitely needed some more spice. I think chopping a red Thai chile or two into the mix would help, as well as adding some acidity (with some lemon juice or apple cider vinegar) to help cut the sweetness would be a plus. Third, using actual Spanish chorizo would be desirable. Finally, Rachel suggested that using coconut milk instead of heavy cream would serve to make it both more interesting to the palate and a little thinner.
Polling the Fam: I might make this one again, because it was interesting and solid overall, but I would definitely want to make the changes suggested above. Rachel thought it wasn't as pumpkin-y as she thought it would be, but said that it verged on bland. She thought it definitely needed more spice and flavor before it could be considered really good, offering that she thought it'd be a good Fall soup. Joe said it was good overall, but a little bland, and thought it needed more spice to offset the sweet. And, my 8-year old nephew said he thought it was sweet and good overall.
Verdict: It was okay. (3 stars) (*but could a 4-star dish next time with some improvements)
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