Really Really Yummy Pumpkin Soup

Bryan's Fabulous Creamy Pumpkin Soup 

A couple of weeks ago we went to the lovely Bryan and 

Stephanie's home for October Record Club, and they made us a wonderful, seasonally appropriate dinner of raw-kale salad, roasted potatoes and this amazing pumpkin soup!  All of the ingredients for dinner came from the CSA (we belong to the same one), and it was all SO absolutely delicious.  Meals like that make me really happy, and also make me wish for more communal meals with dear friends.  I am really excited that Bryan shared the soup recipe so I can share with you lovely readers.  

You will need:

TO ROAST:
~ One pumpkin (size depends on how much soup you want, feel free to mix up pumpkin and other winter squash like butternut)

~ A couple of small to medium onions - quartered

~ A few whole garlic cloves (depending on  how much you lov garlic)
TO SAUTEE:
~ Another onion - diced
~ More garlic - minced
~ A generous handful of chopped mushrooms
~ Sea salt
~ Fresh tarragon and other fresh herbs of choice
TO PUREE:
~ home-made veggie stock or water
~ powder nutmeg
~ powder cinnamon
~ powder ginger
~ unsweetened apple sauce
~ seasalt
if heat is desired:
~ white pepper
~ cayenne pepper
TO FINISH:
~ crispy apples, peeled & sliced 

How to Make The Soup: 

~ Quarter the pumpkin, scoop out seeds (save to roast), rub lightly with oil, and roast, flesh side down, at high heat for an hour or so.
~ Along with the pumpkin roast a few quartered onions and some whole garlic cloves.

(Sacha side note, if you have room for an extra baking tray, you may as well roast your seeds while the oven is on) 

~ While the pumpkin roasts, dice another onion, mince some garlic and saute together.  Slice and add a generous handful of mushrooms.  (You may need to add a little water to your satue pan.)  When the vegetables have softened, add some salt, tarragon, and other fresh herbs as desired. Set aside.

~ When the pumpkin is done, scoop and puree in your blender in batches, along with the roasted onion and garlic, using your  home made vegetable stock or water to thin it out and so your blender doesn't get stuck! 
~ Heat batches over the stove, adding some salt, nutmeg, and ground ginger, to taste.
~ If you prefer some heat, add some cayenne or white pepper.
~ Add more stock, water, (or a little milk or cream if you like) until you reach your favourite consistency.
~ Adjust seasonings as needed. 

~ While the soup heats gently, stir in the mushroom mixture. To add a little sweetness to the soup, add half a cup of unsweetened applesauce and/or dice a tart apple finely and stir into soup. Bryan says that he really likes the crisp apple as a nice textural contrast to the puree soup.
~ Serve in nice bowls, perhaps garnish with some herbs.

This goes ever so well with a raw kale salad and some small cubed roasty spuds.    Yumalicious!