Sunday, November 1, 2009

Pumpkins, Pumpkins everywhere

So, my blog was never really meant to be about food. Having said that, I have been very inspired by the fall colors and the feeling that they create. I love cooking good for you delicious food. I also love the changing produce section this time of year, full of many varieties of squash, and of course pumpkins. They have painted pumpkins, cooking pumpkins, carving pumpkins, and even those of the canned variety.

So today as I planned what new soup I would make for the week, I remembered the barely used can of pumpkin puree left over from the pumpkin cookies I made yesterday. Along with other random vegetables and spices in the pantry, I concocted what I believe to be the best soup I have ever made. Here's how it went:

2 celery stalks
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 sweet potato
1 golden delicious apple (would definitely substitute a granny smith here)
(chop all veggies and fruit)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 tbsp curry powder
dash tumeric
dash corriander
dash thyme
dash pumpkin pie spice (can use cinnamon or clove here)
salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water

What I did:

Heat olive oil over med-low heat in a big soup pot, add sweet potato, celery, and apple in that order, cook for about 5 min until they begin to soften, season with a dash of thyme and salt and pepper. Add the onion and garlic, cooking for around 5 more minutes until the onions become translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or mix with an immersion blender, or whatever you have on hand. This soup becomes totally transformed when blended and has a beautiful color!

I highly recommend you make this, and the smell that fills the kitchen is awesome!