Squishy Squash

This year we had two pumpkins that graced the porch for Halloween.  I prefer to keep my pumpkins uncarved, which allows me to cook them after the holiday.  This afternoon I roasted the first one.

It's easy to cook fresh pumpkin in the oven:

• Cut the pumpkin in quarters and take out the seeds and "goo". 
• Put the pieces in a big roasting pan and add a bit of water in the bottom of the pan to keep them from sticking
• Bake at 425 degrees until the pumpkin is fork tender (30-45 minutes). 

 I scrape the soft flesh off the skin and puree it in the food processor until it's smooth.  Today's pumpkin yielded two 4-cup bags of puree that I put in the freezer for later (it's a tradition in our house to use the Halloween pumpkin for the Thanksgiving pie).  After that was done I still had three cups of pumpkin left over. It was coming up on dinnertime, so I decided to see what I could do with the extra puree. A bit of Internet searching helped me decide on pumpkin soup.

I browsed different Websites, picking and choosing ingredients for my soup based on what I had in the house. The result was an amalgam of several different recipes, and very good if I do say so myself!

SAVORY PUMPKIN SOUP

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

3 cups pumpkin puree

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add chicken broth and mixed vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook until heated.