This past weekend, my friend Reggie invited me over to share her Smoky Pumpkin Soup recipe.  This delicious recipe comes courtesy of the care2.com website and, judging by the date on the web print out, she’s been using this recipe the better part of 10 years!  What an awesome, flavorful, satisfying soup.  I couldn’t get enough of it!

Reggie, a regular writer for the Local Happenings Magazine, recently wrote an article Kooking With Kids so first, we gathered up our sous chefs…

Smoky Pumpkin Soup

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1/2 cup well scrubbed sweet potato, cut into chunks
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup chopped, raw pumpkin or pumpkin puree
1 slice oat bread, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon, crumbled, dried sage
1/2 cup cream or 1/2 and 1/2 (vegans may substitute soy milk or 2 tablespoons cashew or almond butter)
1/2 cup smoked gouda cheese, grated (vegans may use a few drops of natural smoke flavor instead)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Optional garnish:

Sour cream or creme fraiche
Grating of fresh nutmeg or pinch of sage or thyme
Sprinkling of cayenne
Raw or toasted pumpkins seeds

In a large soup pot, heat butter on medium heat.  When butter is melted, add onion, garlic, carrot and sweet potato.  Sautee the vegetables, stirring to coat and cooking until onions are translucent.  Add the vegetable broth, pumpkin puree or chunks, oat bread, thyme and sage.  Stir to mix thoroughly, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until the sweet potato is tender (around 30 minutes).  Add the cream, gouda and parsley.  Stir to mix and continue to simmer (do not boil) until the cheese is melted.

Working in very small batches, transfer soup by ladle full to a blender or food processor.  Warning-fill blender no more than 1/4 full at a time. The mixture is hot and will expand and make a huge mess and possibly burn  you, if you fill your blender.  After each batch is fully pureed, pour into a second pot.  After everything has been pureed, stir together one final time.

Either keep warm on low heat or plate, garnish and serve right away.   Today we are using some beautiful creme fraiche and toasted, salted pumpkin seeds. Delish!

Now that our soup is ready, we have some really important decisions to make – what wine to pair it with?!?

Our choices in chardonnay are Chalk Hill and a Cuvaison.  Hmmmm.  And so sagely, the answer came from Reggie’s mouth – “how about the open one?!?”  Indeed.

A special thanks to Regina and family for a lovely afternoon!

Eat Well!

~Trish