Pumpkin Soup With Cranberry Compote And Roasted Chestnuts Recipes

PUMPKIN-CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, pumpkin, potatoes, and chestnuts; simmer over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• In batches, process mixture in a food processor until smooth (if soup is too thick, gradually add more stock). Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in cream to taste, and garnish with pumpkin seeds, if desired.

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CRANBERRY COMPOTE AND ROASTED CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Prepare the Pumpkin Soup: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Coat each with 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon water. Season flesh of pumpkins generously with salt; place cut-side down on sheet. Roast until tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions; cook until translucent. Add garlic, curry, and nutmeg; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Set aside.
• When pumpkin is cool enough to handle, using a spoon, scrape flesh from skin into Dutch oven. Stir in stock, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce to a simmer, and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
• Prepare the Cranberry Compote: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup water, cranberries, sugar, zest, and salt; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cooking until it reaches a jam-like consistency, about 20 minutes.
• Prepare the Roasted Chestnuts: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chestnuts on a baking sheet; roast until shells split, 5 to 10 minutes. Let stand until cool.
• Shell nuts, and slice thinly. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add chestnuts, and cook until browned over low heat. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Blend soup using an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Over a large bowl, strain through a fine mesh strainer; set strainer over pot, strain again. Whisk in cream, and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, ladle soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with a dollop of cranberry compote and a sprinkling of chestnuts; serve immediately.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the pumpkin cut side up on a parchment lined baking sheet. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Invert to the cut side down, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place in the oven and roast until the skin is golden brown and the pumpkin is tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the pumpkin flesh from its skin and set pumpkin aside until ready to use. Discard the skin.
• Set a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and, when hot, add the cinnamon and allspice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the onions, carrots, celery, ginger and garlic to the pan and saute, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and reserved pumpkin to the pan and bring the stock to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the soup 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 batches in a blender) until smooth. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper. Add the cream to the soup and stir to combine.
• To serve, place 1 cup of the soup in each of 6 warmed soup bowls. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the pumpkin seed oil in the bowl and garnish with a 2 or 3 fried sage leaves.