1 medium sugar/pie pumpkin (about 3 pounds)
Olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea or Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound/454 grams tomatoes, quartered
2 small yellow onions, peeled and quartered
1 red pepper, preferably poblano, seeded and quartered
4 to 5 cups (960mL to 1.2L) water or low-sodium vegetable broth

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Cut the pumpkin in half, then half again, to create four wedges. Scrape out the seeds. Put the wedges on a lined baking sheet and brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with some of the thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes.

Put the tomatoes, onion, and pepper in a small baking dish. Toss with olive oil, the remaining herbs, and salt and pepper. (If you have too many herbs, just save them to add to the soup). Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are releasing juices, browned on the edges, and very fragrant. Remove from the oven.

Scrape the vegetables and herbs into a large pot, making sure you get all the juices. Add the water or broth, along with any herbs that didn’t make it on the vegetables. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer, cover, and let cook about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool approximately 10 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth or let cool to room temperature and blend it in batches in a food processor or blender, adding water or broth if needed. Reheat before serving, seasoning with additional herbs, salt, and pepper to taste.

Tip: For a creamier version, add a few heaping tablespoons of cashew butter in the mix before blending. I like using roasted cashew butter to add to the underlying smokiness of the roasted vegetables in the soup.