PUMPKIN SOUP with BACON
A family favorite for winter holidays!
3-1/2 pound sugar or pie pumpkin or
3 cans pumpkin puree (6 cups)*
6 slices bacon diced
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
Garnishes: bacon, pumpkin seeds, whole cream, chopped parsley, snipped chives
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke pumpkin with a skewer in 6 or 8 places. Set pumpkins on a parchment-lined baking pan. Bake for one hour, or until a skewer easily pierces the flesh. Remove from oven. Set aside until cool enough to handle, at least one hour. Cut pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Using a large utility spoon, scrape pumpkin flesh into a food processor. Process in batches until smooth. You should have about 6 cups of pumpkin puree. (*Or omit this fun step and use canned pumpkin.)
Fry bacon until crisp. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Add onion to bacon fat. Cook over medium high heat for one minute, then add the butter and aromatics. Sauté 30 seconds to release flavor oils. Add pumpkin puree, broth and wine. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Add 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 10 minutes more.
To serve, ladle about a cup of soup into a shallow bowl. Drizzle heavy cream over serving of soup. Sprinkle with reserved bacon, chopped parsley, snipped chives and pumpkin seeds.
Makes 8-10 servings.
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