'Tis the Season for Pumpkin... Soup!

It’s October! We are a few weeks into autumn, and pumpkins abound! ‘Tis the season!! Did you know that a pumpkin is actually a winter squash? Did you know that they come in colors other than orange?! Yes! White, green, blue…! Did you know that there are several edible varieties?! ‘Tis true!

“Pumpkins” are usually round, with a thick skin or “rind”. (That’s how you know it is a “winter” squash instead of a “summer squash”, which has a thin skin, like zucchini). The family of squash to which pumpkins belong is the Cucurbitaceae family. Pumpkins can be very small (I love the tiny ornamental ones) to very large, (there have been pumpkins that weigh over 2, 800 pounds!), to every size in between.  I’ve even seen striped (Tiger pumpkins) and speckled (Hound) ones!

Did you know that there are many types of edible pumpkins? Pumpkins are not just for carving! There are many types of edible pumpkins – pumpkins you can cook and eat: fairytale pumpkins, sugar pie pumpkins, Jarrahdale pumpkins, “Long Island Cheese” pumpkins, and my favorite: Cinderella pumpkins! There are also “pumpkins” that are called “squashes”—kabocha, hubbard, red kuri, honeynut, calabaza, and carnival, to name a few. If you are blessed to be able to find any of these at your local farmer’s market, or in your natural food store (or maybe you grew a few yourself this season), venture into the unknown by getting one you haven’t yet tasted and try the recipe below.

One of the greatest things about all the “pumpkins” I mentioned above is that they can be cooked the same way – I prefer baking them, to concentrate flavor – and used in recipes! The flavor profile and color will change from pumpkin to pumpkin (or squash), but they are interchangeable in recipes once they are cooked, the seeds are removed, and the “flesh” is mashed.  Note: you will need about 5 pounds of pumpkin to yield 4 cups of pumpkin puree.

As always, source the best quality ingredients you can find – biodynamic or organic preferred. Non-GMO at the least.

Pumpkin Soup with Sage and Crème Fraiche (or coconut cream)

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1, 5 pound pumpkin OR equivalent, to produce about 4 cups cooked and mashed

4 tablespoons pastured butter or ghee

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 teaspoons dried sage or 2-3 tablespoons fresh, minced (discard stems) -alternate spicing below!

1 teaspoon high mineral salt (Baja Gold, Celtic, etc.)

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper

1 quart chicken meat stock (or bone broth), or more if desired

Cultured cream or coconut cream (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Be sure the oven rack is in the middle.

Wash the outside of the pumpkin or pumpkins and pierce 2-3 times with a sharp knife.

Place pumpkin on top of a rack in a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a sharp knife pierces it easily.

Meanwhile, melt the butter or ghee over medium heat in a 4-6 quart Dutch oven. Lower the heat and add the onion, sage, salt, cayenne, and pepper. Cook with the lid on for 10-15 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Do not burn.

Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, skim and discard any scum.

When the pumpkin is done, remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Cut in half, remove the seeds with a spoon and discard (or save the seeds to make pepitas, or for another recipe to come!). Scoop out the cooked squash and place in the Dutch oven, taking care not to splash. Increase the heat, bring to a boil and then to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes on low, to allow the flavors to meld.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to your desired consistency. Alternatively, ladle into a blender and blend. Pour back into the pot.

Serve with a liberal dollop of crème fraiche or coconut cream, (be sure to add it when the soup is not piping hot) and salt and pepper to taste.

Alternate spicing: use ground cinnamon, cumin, and ginger instead of sage. Add it to the recipe at the same time that you would if you used the sage. 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1-2 teaspoons ground ginger, depending on how spicy you like it! You could also mince up about an inch of ginger root and add that instead of ground ginger!

Bon Appetit to all! And happy fall!