Pumpkin Soup

     I was visiting with my sister-in-law and she asked me to post my pumpkin soup recipe.  Although usually thought of as a fall soup, I suppose it can be made year round.  Fresh pumpkins are not available, to my knowledge, at this time of the year but I am sure canned pumpkin would do as long as it is NOT the pumpkin pie filling that is sweetened. Most pumpkin soups use heavy cream.  This one does too but not until the very end. So why not?  I may even have a can of that pureed pumpkin in the pantry. It is most decidedly soup weather today! So here goes...warning; a couple of the ingredients may appear unusual but trust that it will all be good in the end.  Enjoy Linda!

1 tsp EVOO and 1 tsp of butter  (to melt in the bottom of a soup pot)
1 med. sized onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 small  dried red pepper
1 small green apple diced with skin off or a couple of Tbsp of apple sauce
4 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of apple juice  (unfiltered non sweetened organic is best)
1/4 cup of Marsala wine  (sherry will do too)
4 cups of pureed pumpkin canned (or bake pumpkin pieces brushed w/ EVOO in oven @ 400 for 30 min. scoop out pulp)
s/p to taste  In this case I use white pepper.

1 tsp of fresh thyme

2 or 3 saffron threads

1 fresh large sage leaf     Leave whole.  

3 Bay leaves

1/4  tsp of freshly grated nutmeg ( a generous pinch)

1/4 cup of heavy cream at room temp.

Garnish
Whip 1 cup of heavy cream for a dollop or swirl on the top of each bowl. I have also used Greek style yogurt instead.
 2 TBSP chopped parsley

1.  Add the first 5 ingredients to a soup pot.  A light sprinkle of salt over the top of the onion, garlic, apple & red pepper.  Stir until onion and apple are limp.
2.  Add the next 3 liquids. Stir and bring to a hard simmer. (Just below a boil.) Simmer for about 5 min.
3.  Lower heat and  slowly pour in the pumpkin and stir until completely incorporated.
4.  Add the herbs  Stir.
5.  Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
6.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
7.  Remove Bay leaves and sage leaf.
8.  Turn off the heat and let mixture cool for about 10 min. IT IS IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT THAT MIXTURE HAS COOLED DOWN. In small batches pour into blender and blend until smooth.
9.  Return to pot and slowly pour in the heavy cream  (you can also use whole milk) and simmer for about 10 min. If you are afraid soup is not cool enough temper the cream by adding a few tbsp of the soup to it before you add it back into the soup.
10.  Grate  nutmeg into soup and stir to mix.
Garnish with whipped  unsweetened cream or Greek style yogurt and parsley.