Pumpkin Soup Served in Individual Roasted Pumpkins
- 6 small (6 to 7 inches in diameter) unblemished pumpkins
- 1 medium pumpkin (10 to 11 inches in diameter)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshlyground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pureed
- 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup cream, creme fraiche or sour cream
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare the small pumpkins as though you were making jackolanterns, cutting off and reserving top, scooping out seeds and reserving, but stopping short of carving the face.
- Set aside.
- Repeat preparation with the medium pumpkin, then cut it into wedges along its natural grooves.
- Peel each wedge with a sharp swivel peeler.
- Cut flesh into 2-inch chunks and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine ground spices with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Sprinkle this mixture into pumpkin cavities, dividing evenly.
- Cut 1 tablespoon butter into bits and divide between pumpkins.
- Replace pumpkin tops and place pumpkins in a shallow roasting pan.
- Roast 30 to 40 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife but still intact.
- Remove from oven and set aside.
- While pumpkins are roasting, prepare the soup: Heat remaining butter along with olive oil over mediumhigh heat in large pot or Dutch oven until foamy.
- Add onions and remaining salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes until softened and begin to color.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute to release flavor.
- Add diced potato, chunked pumpkin flesh and stock and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes until potatoes and pumpkin are completely soft.
- Pass soup through a food mill fitted with the fine blade into a clean pot.
- Whisk in cream, taste and adjust seasoning and set aside.
- Roasted pumpkins and soup should be done at about the same time.
- To serve, remove tops from pumpkins and use a melon baller to scoop balls of pumpkin flesh, leaving them in their respective pumpkins.
- Carefully ladle soup into each pumpkin, filling about 2/3 full.
- Replace pumpkin tops, place each pumpkin on a plate, and serve.
pumpkins, pumpkin, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, cloves, salt, freshlyground black pepper, butter, olive oil, onions, garlic, potato, chicken, cream
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pumpkin-soup-served-in-individual-roasted-pumpkins-recipe.html (may not work)