Indeed. The trick is doing it for the right reasons, so detachment doesn't turn into indifference.
I've never roasted pumpkin before (I'm a very basic cook - i just boil or fry everything.
Haven't used an oven in more than 15 years (and even then it was such a rare occasion i can even remember the last ovencooked dish i did, it was a rotolo di spinaci) but i will now you've described the process so handsomely, with tomatoes and garlic... sounds absolutely great!
I do love smoked paprika a lot, though try to use it sparingly to savour the unique taste of it, otherwise it's one of those things, like truffle oil, i just end up adding to everything cos it's so good with all the things i tend to like.
Yeah coconut oil and hokkaido go together like hand in glove, so it's a good idea to sauté shallots in it and add to the soup.
What do you think of cream of coconut - too sweet for pumpkin soup? I had a spicy pumpkin soup in Prague in October (around halloween) where the chef had draped a white spiders web onto the soup, using coconut milk - barista style. Looked super, and tasted even better.