This weekend was a busy one full of all sorts of “getting ready for winter” activities for me. I was busy roasting the three Cinderella pumpkins I bought the week before, processing all the garden tomatoes, and vacuum-sealing it all. By the time the day was done I had 26 cups of pumpkin purée, 26 cups of stewed garden tomatoes, and 8 cups of pumpkin soup… all in the freezer.
I try every year to make a couple of soups and then vacuum-seal them in 2-cup portions for Eric and I to have on those days we get home late and don’t want to cook. Soup and a couple of defrosted, and baked, rolls really hits the spot for dinner in the winter.
I made two soups; pumpkin soup with smoked paprika and rustic tomato soup. Last night we had some of the pumpkin soup and I must say it was YUMMY! Here’s the recipe if you’re interested. Courtesy of Simply Recipes.
Pumpkin Soup with Smoked Paprika
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 pound cooking pumpkin* to yield 6 cups roasted pumpkin OR 3 (15 ounce) cans of pumpkin puree (I used some of the fresh pumpkin puree – no canned stuff for me.)
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped, about 2 cups
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 large tart green apple (Granny Smith) peeled, cored, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 sprig fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add smoked paprika, cayenne, and cumin and stir for a minute more.
- Add chopped apple and pumpkin purée. Add broth, water. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through.
- Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender or a food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. If you want extra smooth soup, pass the purée through a food mill, after it’s been through the blender. Return the soup to the saucepan.
- With soup on low heat, slowly add the milk and cream, stirring to incorporate. Add salt to taste. Adjust other seasonings to taste.Can make a day ahead.Serves 8.
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