Zesty Pumpkin Soup

Hubby and I were wanting a little taste of Thanksgiving last night, in anticipation of the coming holiday later this week, so I cooked up this wonderful soup in the time it took to bake a loaf of Pillsbury's Italian Bread, about half an hour. The soup is soul-satisfyingly delicious on a cold, late-autumn evening. It would also be a scrumptious start (in small, say 4-ounce  quantities) to a Thanksgiving meal. It is rich and satisfying...I hope you'll try it.

Zesty Pumpkin Soup

Makes 4 regular servings, 8-12 small appetizer servings

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Small pinch ground cayenne pepper

1 15-oz. can 100% pure pumpkin puree

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup of milk

1 5-ounce can evaporated milk

1/8-1/4 cup brown sugar, to taste

1/2-1 t. kosher salt, to taste

1/2-1 t. white pepper, to taste

Garnish: roasted pumpkin seeds or croutons, optional

(Measure out spices into a small bowl before beginning, so you can add them all at once.)

In a 4-qt saucepan over medium heat, melt butter; add onions and cook, stirring often, until almost softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté one minute more. Add spices and stir for another minute. Add pumpkin and chicken stock; blend well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; simmer for 10-15 minutes. Transfer soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor, (or use an immersion blender in the saucepan - my favorite – less to clean up.) Cover blender or food processor tightly and blend until smooth. Return soup to saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Slowly add milk and evaporated milk while stirring to incorporate. Stir in salt and white pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. If a little too spicy, add more milk to cool it down. To serve, sprinkle the top of each bowl with roasted pumpkin seeds or croutons.