Friday Recipe: Cream of Pumpkin Soup

I thought of offering "candy pie" for today's recipe, but opted for the slightly more healthy and wholesome cream of pumpkin soup. I first made and tasted this soup two years ago in Naivasha, Kenya as part of a thanksgiving day meal, and I continue to enjoy it. I'm planning on making it later today, so the pictures will feature the raw materials.


Cream of Pumpkin Soup
Serves ~8

4 tbsp butter
2 c. finely chopped onion
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
6 c. vegetable broth OR 6 c. water + equivalent vegetable bouillon
30 oz. (2 cans) pumpkin
2 c. half-and-half
sour cream/chives (optional topping)

1. Melt butter in soup pot. Add onions and garlic; cook until tender.
2. Add in curry, salt, coriander, and crushed red pepper. Stir well.
3. Add broth (or water + bouillon). Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and let simmer for ~20 minutes.
5. Add pumpkin and half-and-half. Stir well and cook for ~5-7 minutes.
6. Using an immersion blender, blend soup until creamy (if you don't have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a blender or food processor).
7. Eat! Garnish with sour cream/chives as desired.

Notes
*I sometimes use a mix of butter and olive oil; it works too.

*It may be possible to make this soup pareve/lactose-free using non-dairy creamer, but I've never tried it so I can't vouch that it will work.

*I cannot recommend an immersion blender enough. I believe they have revolutionized the kitchen, or at least my kitchen.

*This is an easy soup recipe to double or triple or even quadruple (if you have a humongous pot!), which makes it a great recipe for meals with lots of people.

*This is very much a savory, not sweet, soup. The curry flavors balance the pumpkin flavors well, so if there is someone at your table like me who dislikes sweet pumpkin dishes (I know, it's heresy to say it, but I don't like pumpkin pie), tell them to try this soup.

After a little searching, I found a picture from my initial foray into pumpkin soup. It's not the main feature, but you can see the deliciousness in the bowls on the table. If memory serves me well, we garnished with sour cream, chives, and a big crouton.

Happy Halloween!