I never went pumpkin picking as a child; and I certainly never had Purée of Pumpkin Soup. By the time I had children, schools were taking whole classes to pumpkin patches. My grandchildren go with school and also with their parents. They always seem to pick the largest pumpkin they can carry to bring me. After admiring it for a few days, I remove the seeds, cut it up in manageable pieces and roast it. Click on the link for exact directions for How To Roast a Pumpkin.The juices ooze out of the pieces and somewhat resorb back into the roasted pumpkin after cooling. At this point, I have a lot of roasted pumpkin. I could use some of it as a vegetable; but I usually purée it all. I give some to my daughter, some to friends and the rest I use for Purée of Pumpkin Soup and Pumpkin Pie.
As with all vegetables, some pumpkins are sweeter than others. When it is a particularly sweet pumpkin, it makes an absolutely delicious and creamy soup without adding any sweetener. I garnish it with toasted coconut flakes and pepitas. What a treat! Should your pumpkin not be so sweet, you can add a little pure maple syrup to give it the sweetness you desire.
Prep time: 60 minutes
Note: You can use pure canned pumpkin purée; but the color won’t be as bright.