Creamy Pumpkin Soup

I love fall. I love the cooler temperatures, the leaves turning colors, pumpkins, kids going back to school, cider, all of it.

Summer is trying hard to stick around, and I’m sick to death of the hot temperatures. I tried buying a pumpkin scented candle, and I bought soaps that smell like caramel and apples and pumpkins, but so far that hasn’t helped.

So I made pumpkin soup.

I made this recipe once before, back when I lived in my little Pennsylvania apartment. I didn’t have much in the way of kitchen gadgets, money, or experience, but I was feeling adventurous and that’s all you really need, I guess. I didn’t realize until I was mid-way through that the recipe requires a blender or food processor, neither of which I owned, so I have memories of trying to smooth it out with a large knife and a potato masher. It wasn’t too successful, though it was tasty.

Here I am, 5 years later, and I hadn’t tried to make it again yet. It was about time. First, start off by chopping up some onion.

Sauté it in butter until it’s sweet and tender.

While it’s cooking, peel and slice up some potatoes.

And measure out some canned pumpkin.

When the onions are done, add the potatoes and pumpkin, along with chicken broth. Cook it up until the potatoes are soft.

And then puree the mixture. The recipe says to do it half at a time, but my blender’s big and I didn’t see a point.

Once it’s smooth, return it to the pot and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

I think I added a sprinkle of ginger, cloves, and a hint of cayenne pepper, as per reviews.

Add some milk, for creaminess.

As for presentation, the recipe said to mix up some sour cream with fresh parsley, drop a dollop into each bowl, and then top with crumbled bacon. I didn’t bother mixing the parsley with sour cream beforehand, nor did I use fresh parsley. And I skipped the bacon.

Still looked pretty good to me. The pumpkin flavor is mediated by the potatoes and onions, so it’s both hearty and creamy.

Hubby wasn’t real interested, but it ain’t man food. I thought it was yummy and didn’t mind having plenty of leftovers.

Here’s the recipe, if you’re interested. Won’t go in my TasteBook because I’ve already had this one printed up. Enjoy!