Curried Pumpkin Soup

Soup is my favorite food.

Pumpkin is my favorite ingredient.

So naturally, I love pumpkin soups.  Here is a foundational pumpkin soup recipe that I make all year long, and people can’t get enough of it.  I first had this soup on a cruise ship in 1998, which is really the first time my pallate became challenged by food other than what Mom made at home in West Texas.  (I almost had to get married just to go on that cruise…but that’s another story.)

You’ll eventually find out how much curry powder you like using in this soup.  I personally use around 3 Tablespoons, but that produces a very strong curry flavor.

1 large onion

6 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons olive oil

In a large soup pot, sauté until onions are translucent.  Add:

4 cups chicken stock (or veggie broth)

1-2 Tablespoons yellow curry powder, or more

1 teaspoon cumin

4 turns ground black pepper

Bring to a boil over high heat.  Then add:

2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1 can of solid pack pumpkin)

Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.

In a blender working in small batches, process 1 or 2 cups of soup at a time.  As soon as you turn on the blender there will be a powerful burst of steam out the top unless you are very careful.  I cover the lid with a kitchen towel and hold it down tight, or you can seriously burn yourself, and completely slime your kitchen at the same time.

Puree the soup until it’s completely smooth, pour it into a big bowl or another large clean pot.  Once you’ve processed all the soup, return it to the burner over medium-low heat.  Stir in:

1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream

I’ve discovered that you can substitute coconut milk for a really amazing extra dimension to this soup.  You can also use sour cream or even Greek-style yogurt (that really thick stuff) for superb results.

Heat through, just a minute or two, and serve immediately.  This soup isn’t as good leftover as many soups.