Makes about 1-1/2 quarts or 6 servings

Preparing savory homemade soups warms you inside and out.  Roasted pumpkin soup is a delicious way to enjoy autumn.  Serve at once or store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.  For a richer soup, prepare at least 4 hours before serving. 

Ingredients

2 pounds of uncooked pumpkin, cut into large pieces with strings and seeds removed
3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin grapeseed oil*, divided
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 – 3 links of Andouille or other spicy sausage, chopped
4 cups chicken stock**
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange the pumpkin pieces on the lined baking sheet, cup side up and drizzle about 1 tablespoon with toasted pumpkin grapeseed oil.  Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and roast until tender, about 50 – 60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool.  Scoop the cooled pumpkin flesh from its skin and cut into 1 inch chunks.  Set aside.  Discard the skin.

Heat a 3 quart sauce pan over medium high heat.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of toasted pumpkin grapeseed oil to the pan.  When hot, add the cinnamon, cumin, and allspice.  Cook the spices, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Add the chopped Andouille sausage and cook 3 – 4 minutes.***  Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and sauté 3 – 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two.  Add the chicken stock and the chunks of pumpkin and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. 

Remove the soup from the heat and process with an immersion blender or in 2 – 3 cup batches in a food processor.  Process until smooth.****  At this point, you can refrigerate for later use or return the processed soup to the sauce pan and heat through.  Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Adjust seasonings as necessary. 

Ladle the hot soup into bowls or transfer to a soup tureen.  Sprinkle with Nutmeg. 

Serving Suggestions

Fry 18-24 small fresh sage leaves in hot olive oil.  Drain on a paper towel.  Plate soup, sprinkle with nutmeg and top with a few fried sage leaves. 

Serve with cornbread, a warm baguette, or chunks of country bread.

Cook's Notes

*You can substitute good quality extra virgin olive oil for the toasted pumpkin grapeseed oil.

**Canned chicken broth works well in this recipe. 

***The pureed sausage gives this soup a nice 'bite'.  For a tasty topping, remove about 1/3 of the sautéed sausage before adding the vegetables.  To remove excess spices from the cooked sausage, 'wash' in a bit of chicken stock.  Pour the stock into the soup as directed and reserve the sausage pieces until serving time. 

****Process until smooth or leave a few small chunks of the cooked vegetables and sausage, if desired.