Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (Photo by red bradley) |
Serves 8
Ingredients:
½ Cup – Unsalted Butter
¾ Cup – All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup – Pureed Roasted Pumpkin
¼ Cup – Minced Yellow Onions
¼ Cup – Minced Celery
6 Cups – Chicken Stock, Heated
1 Cup – Half & Half Cream
1 Tbs. – Fresh Thyme Leaves
½ tsp. – Ground Nutmeg
Ground White Pepper, to Taste
Kosher Salt, to Taste
Procedure:
Heat butter in a heavy gauge, 4-quart stock pot over medium heat.
Add pumpkin puree, celery and onions. Sweat in butter until tender.
Add flour and mix into a smooth roux. Cook roux over low heat until it begins to shine.
Add hot chicken stock and bring to a light boil stirring vigorously to break up roux and form a smooth consistency.
Cook over low heat, stirring often until flour taste is gone (approx. 30-45 minutes).
Add cream, thyme, nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Strain soup through a fine strainer, pressing vegetables against mesh to remove all their flavors.
Return to low heat until ready for service.
*Thin as needed with hot chicken stock.
Recommended garnish options: Hollow out miniature pumpkins and scrape out seeds, rub the inside of pumpkin with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast pumpkin in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes to warm and remove raw taste from the inner pumpkin. Remove from oven and use as bowl for the soup. The pumpkin will still be raw in the center; this is to be used as a dish only.
