pumpkin soup

my stock pile for the winter is getting low but i think i did ok for my first year. but one thing i had a lot of was pumpkins.

i made a pumpkin pie that didn't taste good but other than that i use my pumpkins for soup!

when raul doesn't like something he doesn't eat it and when i'm done quickly offers to do the dishes so he can throw away his food. that is to say that he doesn't do that with this soup. he even gets seconds!

1 small cooking pumpkin (not the biggest jack-o-latern you can find, those are not that good tasting since they're so big. hint. get it in your produce section not somewhere that has pony rides)
6 cups of chicken stock
3 big dashes of nutmeg
1 onion minced
 salt and pepper
annci di peppe pasta (they're tiny tiny pieces of pasta, a little bigger than a rice grain - in your pasta aisle)

chop pumpkin up and scoop out the seeds. save them for later!
start boiling the chicken stock. drop the pumpkin pieces in there and let them cook a little. pumpkins are really hard to peel so letting them cook for a while until they're tender lets the rind come off really easily once they're cooled.
when they're ready take them out and save the stock in the pot. let them cool for a little bit then just take the rind off - easy! much better than struggling to slice it off. this way you get still get all the meat.
in a sautee pan sautee onions and garlic for a short while.
add the pumpkin, onion and garlic back to the stock. and simmer for a while.

if you have an immersion blender:
simply blend all the ingredients together in the pot until smooth.

if you have a regular blender:
strain all the ingredients out of the stock. again, save the stock. let the ingredients cool slightly. in batches, puree them in the blender and add back to the soup. whisk together for a good incorporation.

if you have neither of those things:
use a potato masher to mash up the pumpkin chunks. your soup won't be a puree but it'll still taste good. whisk together to make sure they're all incorporated.

for seasoning you have to add a little then taste it. salt is one thing i've had a problem with. it doesn't need as much as you think. nutmeg too. if you put half the bottle in there it'll taste like a gingerbread cookie (and not in a good way). just carefully add your seasonings.

now you can add the pasta. pasta gets bigger so don't add too much. after a few minutes of cooking stir the pot. the pasta can get caught in the pumpkin fibers and sink to the bottom in a clump. make sure they don't stay there and burn.

taste a piece of pasta and make sure it's cook. once they are, stir the pot one more time and serve with delicious bread!

you can save this soup too and it reheats really well!

love,
keighty