Robin Raven is the author of  Santa’s First Vegan Christmas Born in Mobile, Alabama, Robin grew up in a nearby town called Saraland, and her hometown is a lovely place that still inspires her. As an adult, Ms. Raven has mostly lived in Los Angeles and New York City, so she also considers those cities to be home. She holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and is now furthering her education. Robin has written for such publications as USAToday.com, the VegNews blog, The Malibu Times, The Huffington Post, and LoveToKnow. Robin blogs at RobinRaven.com and loves to connect with readers on social media.

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Roasted Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Soup

Makes 42 cups-

1 Lg. LI Cheese Pumpkin, cut in

half, seeds removed

12 cups water

4 cups pumpkin juice

2 Tbs. coconut oil

1 Tbs. minced garlic

8 Tbs. fresh minced ginger

6 t. salt

2 Onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

5 potatoes, cut into chunks

2 cans coconut milk

6 Tbs. maple syrup

Pumpkin seeds for garnish

2 t. cinnamon

2 Tbs. Cardamom

1 Tbs. Coriander

Lay out the Pumpkin, cut side down, on an oiled roasting pan. Bake at 375 for 1 hour, until pumpkin is soft. Reserve the pumpkin juice for the soup. Set aside. Meanwhile, in large stock pot, sauté the onion in the coconut oil with the celery, ginger and garlic. Add the spices and lightly toast for 2 minutes. When the pumpkin is ready, scrape out the pulp, leaving behind the skin, and add pulp to the stock pot. Add 12 cups water and the 4 cups of pumpkin juice to the stock pot. The pumpkin should be covered with liquid by 3”. Bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and with an immersion stick, puree the soup until smooth. Return to stove, and add the coconut milk. If the soup is too thick, add some more water. Add the maple syrup. Adjust spices and salt to taste. Garnish with pumpkin seeds.