Pumpkin Soup

This recipe starts with a story:  Early in our marriage, my husband and I were fortunate enough to afford a bi-weekly delivery of a box of local organic produce. One week in late October, we got a small pumpkin. And, honestly, we were totally at a loss as to what to do with it. At the time, I was working full time and my husband was working part time. And one day I came home to discover that he had looked through our "Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking" and found a recipe for pumpkin soup. I'll admit that I was very skeptical. I am not an adventurous eater by any stretch of the imagination. However, given how proud he was of his ingenuity, I grudgingly tasted a small amount. And it was wonderful! Unfortunately, when we tried to make more we discovered that grocery stores didn't carry pumpkins past Halloween! (I think this has changed somewhat in recent years – definitely you can still find pie pumpkins at Trader Joe's until Thanksgiving, and local farmers markets usually have some as well.)

Pumpkin soup is now a family staple. My five year old will eat bowls of it without any prodding – in fact it's one thing I know she'll eat even when she's going through a "picky" phase. To minimize spills and make it easier for her to eat, I ladle hers out before I add the full amount of milk so that it's a little thicker.

I make it all winter long, using fresh pumpkin from the farmers market. I stock up at this time of year when the pumpkins are readily available. They store well for a few months, and I also freeze some of the chunks after seeding and peeling so that I have at least one batch available for late spring. (It may be possible to use a (large) can of pumpkin, but I've never done so. If you try that option, add the pumpkin after the potatoes and onions are finished cooking, before you puree the soup.)

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 large onion or 2 shallots

1 1/2 lbs pumpkin

1 lb potatoes

1 1/2 c vegetable (or other) stock

1/2 t tarragon

generous pinch nutmeg (optional)

2 1/2 c milk

1-2 t lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Equipment needed:

large soup pot with lid

potato peeler

food processor, blender or immersion blender

conical strainer with pestle (optional)

Directions:

Assemble ingredients.

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds.

Slice the pumpkin halves in thin wedges as if it were a cantaloupe (trust me; it's easier to peel once it's cut in wedges!). 

Peel the wedges and cut the pumpkin into large dice (approximately 1" square, but exact measurements are not necessary in the least!).

Peel the potatoes and cut them into large dice. You want your potato pieces to be about the same size as your pumpkin pieces. Also chop the onion or shallot into large pieces.

Saute the onion (shallot) in the oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until translucent and fragrant.

Add the pumpkin and potato pieces.

Put the lid on and let everything "sweat" for a few minutes. (That means let them cook for a short time in what is essentially steam.) After about five minutes, give everything a good stir, and add the stock. Add the tarragon and the nutmeg (if using).

Cook until the pumpkin and the potato are quite tender – about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Puree everything. You can do this in your blender or food processor, or use your immersion blender. It's up to you and the equipment you prefer. My preference is to use my heavy-duty food processor...

  

...and then to also strain the puree through a conical strainer. (It's totally not necessary to strain it, and my husband thinks I'm a little crazy. What can I say? I like a super-smooth soup, and I learned to strain it this way in my cooking classes.)

Once you have everything totally pureed, and ready to go, put it back in the pan to reheat. Add the milk and the lemon juice and heat over medium heat until warm enough to serve.

Enjoy with warm crusty bread or crackers.

Happy (and warm) Baking!