This soup is like eating warm pumpkin pie with a spoon. Try the great garnishing ideas and suggestions for adding a zesty twist.
Serves 10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shallots, chopped
½ cup onions, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh gingerroot, grated
1 tablespoons walnut oil +1 tablespoon cooking oil
¼ cup all purpose flour
4 cups chicken (or vegetables) broth
½ cup apple cider
1- 16 ounce can pumpkin
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon,
¼ teaspoon dried thymethyme, crushed
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cloves, ground
1 cup whipping cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
Crème fraiche to garnish
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated to garnish
Additional sprigs of thyme to garnish
Instructions:
In a 3 quart saucepan cook shallots, onions, and gingerroot in oils over medium heat until translucent. Stir in flour. Add vegetable or chicken broth and cider. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in pumpkin, maple syrup, bay leaves, cinnamon, thyme, pepper and cloves. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Cool slightly. Puree in blender in batch until smooth. Return soup to saucepan and add whipping cream and vanilla. Heat an additional 10 minutes or until heated through.
Terri’s Tips:
Prepare in advance the soup through the puree stage and refrigerate up to 3 days or process in jars for canning.
The soup can also be frozen after the puree stage.
To serve, heat the soup, stir in the cream and vanilla, and heat through.
For a zestier flavor serve with ginger cranberry relish
Try crystallized ginger and finely chopped thyme as a garnish
Sweeten the dish with crushed gingersnaps as a garish
Cooking Wiser:
Omit the cream and add and additional cup of chicken broth and top with a dollop of low fat sour cream