Food coverage is supported by a generous donation from Susan and Moses Libitzky.

It’s definitely time to get cozy! Warm up on a cold day with this simple recipe for oven-roasted pumpkin apple soup, a seasonal favorite that has just the right amount of sweet and savory. Each sip offers a taste of creamy pumpkin enlivened with the flavors of apples, spices, coconut and a squeeze of lemon juice, which together give the soup its warm, inviting savor.

As a symbol of autumn, pumpkins aren’t just decorative. They can be used in all kinds of ways — in place of sweet potato or to replace the carrots in carrot cake, for example. And being rich in vitamin A and a whole host of minerals, they also provide nutritional value.

This soup is an excellent starting point for those new to cooking with pumpkin. Roasting the vegetables and pumpkin purée brings out their natural sweetness and earthiness and creates a depth of flavor you can’t get by boiling. With the added bonus of onions, garlic and ginger, this soup has it all: protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, healthy fats — and just the right amount of sweetness.

No pumpkin? Substitute a chopped sweet potato, and roast alongside the apple and onion mixture. Want to add a little spiciness? Add a tablespoon of curry powder!

• 2 apples, cored and quartered — with peel!
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 30-oz. can pumpkin purée
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In an oven-safe dish, combine apples, onion, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil, and roast for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and add the pumpkin purée. Return to the oven, and roast for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the onion and apples are tender.

Transfer to a blender, and add broth, coconut milk and lemon juice, puréeing until smooth.