Pumpkin Soup Now?

Less than a week ago it was raining and rather chilly. Perfect weather to have soup for lunch!

I usually look for leftovers to turn into cream of whatever but there was nothing suitable.  There were, however, several cans of pumpkin on the pantry shelf and a big container of turkey broth in the refrigerator. 

I began, as I begin most dishes, by sauteeing some chopped onion and garlic in butter (olive oil would be better for you). When the onion was wilted, I removed it and the garlic to a bowl and sauteed some chopped red bell pepper -- just slightly -- then put it in the bowl.  I added a bit more butter, a little curry powder, and flour (in an amount equal to the butter) to make a roux, then stirred in some broth till the mixture thickened.

Next I added the pumpkin (and this is pure, unseasoned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie filling) to the broth mixture, and dumped the sauteed vegetables back in. Some might choose to puree the soup at this point but I like the texture of the onion and red pepper. (Add more broth if you want a thinner soup.)

And some might choose to stir in some half and half or cream or plain yoghurt. All tasty but not really necessary. Salt and pepper to taste -- depending on how salty your broth is, you may not need to salt.

It's a wonderfully comfortable soup for a chilly, rainy day.

And several days later, when we were hot and sweaty from working outside all morning, the leftover soup was equally delicious served very cold with a dollop of sour cream and a dusting of hot paprika.  A quesadilla on the side and it's a meal!