Fall Favorite Pumpkin Soup  

Pumpkin is associated with everything in autumn, from the décor to the food. However, it is rare if pumpkin makes an appearance on the Thanksgiving table in any other form besides pumpkin pie. Mix up your thanksgiving dinner by putting pumpkin somewhere you wouldn’t normally find it.  Pumpkin soup might be something your guests would ever expect.

Have some fun in how you server Pumpkin Soup

You can serve the soup in bowls like normal people…or get have some fun and serve it in hollowed-out pumpkins of whatever size you’d like. Teeny tiny ones would be darling. But teeny tiny ones aren’t big enough for a decent serving size. This will be a dinner option your guests will not forget!

How to make Pumpkin Soup  

Ingredients  

• 2 (3- to 3 1/2-pound) whole orange pumpkins (such as Hokkaido) 
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 
• 2 teaspoons canola oil 
• 1 cup raw pepitas 
• 2 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided 
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (7 ounces) 
• 3 1/2 cups water 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place whole pumpkins on baking sheet. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, pour wine into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Boil, without stirring, until wine has reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Keep warm and set aside. 
3. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high. Add pepitas, and cook, stirring often, until seeds are puffed, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt set aside.  
4. In the same skillet, melt 7 tablespoons butter. Cook, stirring often, until butter browns, about 6 minutes. 
5. Remove skin and stems from baked pumpkins and cut them in half. Scoop out and discard seeds. Working in batches if necessary, combine pumpkin, 3 ½ cups water, and the remaining 7 tablespoons butter in a blender. Process until smooth and transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in reduced wine and remaining 2 teaspoons salt and serve!  

How to roast pumpkin seeds:

Pick off all the flesh bits from the seeds and discard them. It is easy to do this using a colander under running water. Pat the seeds dry with a tea towel or paper towels. Toss the seeds with a little olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and any other seasonings that sound good. Toss to coat. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the pumpkin seeds in a single layer. Roast for 13 to 16 minutes, until the seeds are fragrant and toasty.