Curried Pumpkin Soup

I was cleaning off my desk and found this recipe scribbled on a yellow legal pad. This soup is one of our cool weather staples.

Use a good sugar pie pumpkin (as opposed to one of the tasteless behemoths sold for jack-o-lanterns) or substitute another orange-fleshed winter squash. Kabocha is my favorite. Butternut works, too.

This soup is even better the second day. To dress it up, swirl a spoonful of crema fresca or creme fraiche -- both milder than sour cream, which I don't personally like -- on the top, and sprinkle with parsley.

Curried Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
2 lbs/ 4 c. cooked pumpkin (about a 4 lb pumpkin)
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 shredded carrots
2 T. olive oil
2 Red Delicious apples, cored, peeled and diced
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced (if you prefer, use yam or sweet potato)
1 large clove garlic
1 T. curry ...make sure your spices are fresh or make your own curry powder*
2-3 c. chicken or vegetable stock
orange zest (optional)
crema fresca or creme fraiche
parsley

Directions

1. Wash the outside of the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. If you have room in your oven, bake the pumpkin whole. I don't so I chop it in half and put each half, face down, on a cookie sheet. Either way, poke holes in the pumpkin with a skewer or knife so steam can escape. You really don't want the pumpkin to explode in your oven.


• Bake the pumpkin until tender, about 60-90 minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, clean the seeds and any pulp, and peel the skin. Rough chop the flesh and set aside.


3. While the pumpkin bakes, saute the onion in the olive oil in a stock pot until semi-translucent. Add the curry powder, carrots and garlic and continue to saute, stirring frequently, until onions and garlic are soft.
4. Add the chicken stock to the pot, along with the potato, apple, and pumpkin. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. If you're using orange zest, add it now.
5. Use a hand blender to puree the soup. Or let it cool and use your blender or food processor.
6. Serve warm, with a swirl of crema fresca and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

* You may prefer to make your own curry blend. There are recipes online. This one is basic, this one slightly different.