Pumpkin Soup

Most of us think of pumpkin as purely decorative and few actually eat the delicious squash meat inside. Here is one of my favorite pumpkin recipes that I learned when living in France. Once, I even cleaned the pumpkin shell and served the hot soup in it ! Much work but very impressive.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon good olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

1 lb of fresh pumpkin (cleaned no seeds, no strings-cut into cubes )

1½ pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in chunks

3 cups chicken stock or canned broth

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

chopped parsley to garnish
1 cup half-and-half
Grated Gruyère, Emmenthal or Swiss Cheese

Directions

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot, add the onions, and cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the pumpkin, butternut squash, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until the squash is very tender. Process the mixture in a food mill or mash. Return to the pot, add the half-and-half, and heat slowly. Add more salt if needed. Sprinkle with parsley. Add grated cheese and serve hot with crusty French bread.