Pumpkin Soup

Here in Houston there are no fall colors. Some yellow and red leaves on the trees will only appear in December. Daily temperatures hover around 90 degrees and the only way we know that it is actually fall is PUMPKINS. In stores, at pumpkin patches and in people's front yards. That, and the Halloween decorations.

Psychologically, though, even with hot, sunny weather one wants to mark the change of seasons. Knowing that it is fall out there somewhere made me want to cook something pumpkin-y. After pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread were all covered, I circled around to soup. My favorite "pureed" soup is the Szechwan carrot soup from Epicurious. I have been making it for years, usually in the fall for some reason.

Peanut butter, ginger and sesame oil work great when used in pumpkin soup. I cheat a little here and use canned stuff. There is no reason, however, not to use fresh pumpkin. Just cut it, brush with olive oil and bake at 400F until soft when pierced with a fork or a knife.

Pumpkin Soup 

1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1 can (15 oz, 425 gr) pumpkin pure
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil

pumpkin seeds and cream for serving

Saute onion in oil until translucent, add garlic and cook another minute. Place all soup ingredients in blender, process until smooth. Transfer to pot, heat until the soup begins to boil. Remove from heat. To serve, drizzle with cream decoratively and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.