Pumpkin Soup Served In The Shell Food

SQUASH SOUP IN PUMPKIN BOWLS

Steps:

• Make the bowls: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use a paring knife to cut a large circle around the stem of each pumpkin (make a zigzag cut, if desired). Remove the lid and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Sprinkle the inside of each with 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and salt. Place the pumpkins and lids on a baking sheet; roast until tender, 20 to 35 minutes, depending on their size.
• Meanwhile, make the soup: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Strip the thyme leaves into the pot, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and sugar and cook, stirring, until glazed, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 5 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender, crack the lid to let steam escape and puree until smooth; return to the saucepan (or puree directly in the pan with an immersion blender). Stir in the heavy cream, if desired. Season with salt and pepper, and top as desired.

PUMPKIN SOUP SERVED IN INDIVIDUAL ROASTED PUMPKINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the small pumpkins as though you were making jackolanterns, cutting off and reserving top, scooping out seeds and reserving, but stopping short of carving the face. Set aside. Repeat preparation with the medium pumpkin, then cut it into wedges along its natural grooves. Peel each wedge with a sharp swivel peeler. Cut flesh into 2-inch chunks and set aside.
• In a small bowl combine ground spices with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle this mixture into pumpkin cavities, dividing evenly. Cut 1 tablespoon butter into bits and divide between pumpkins. Replace pumpkin tops and place pumpkins in a shallow roasting pan. Roast 30 to 40 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife but still intact. Remove from oven and set aside.
• While pumpkins are roasting, prepare the soup: Heat remaining butter along with olive oil over mediumhigh heat in large pot or Dutch oven until foamy. Add onions and remaining salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes until softened and begin to color. Add garlic and cook 1 minute to release flavor. Add diced potato, chunked pumpkin flesh and stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes until potatoes and pumpkin are completely soft. Pass soup through a food mill fitted with the fine blade into a clean pot. Whisk in cream, taste and adjust seasoning and set aside.
• Roasted pumpkins and soup should be done at about the same time. To serve, remove tops from pumpkins and use a melon baller to scoop balls of pumpkin flesh, leaving them in their respective pumpkins. Carefully ladle soup into each pumpkin, filling about 2/3 full. Replace pumpkin tops, place each pumpkin on a plate, and serve.

MARTHA STEWART'S PUMPKIN SOUP IN A PUMPKIN

Steps:

• In a covered saucepan, heat the stock, cubed pumpkin, onion, garlic, salt, thyme, and peppercorns to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
• Remove 1/2 cup of the pumpkin with a slotted spoon; reserve.
• Simmer remaining pumpkin mixture, uncovered, 20 minutes longer; transfer to a large bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
• Cut the top off the sugar pumpkin and remove the seeds.
• Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes; set aside in a warm spot.
• Puree 2 cups of the pumpkin mixture in a blender or food processor; return pureed mixture to the pot.
• Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture.
• Heat pureed mixture to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Stir warm cream and reserved pumpkin into soup.
• Place the warmed sugar pumpkin on a platter; ladle the soup in and garnish with parsley.
• Serve hot.

PUMPKIN SOUP SERVED IN A PUMPKIN (POTAGE AU POTIRON)

Steps:

• Cut off top of pumpkin at least 5 inches across, so that it can serve as a lid. Scoop out and discard all seeds and stringy material. Using a large sturdy spoon, scrape out 6 cups of pumpkin meat, taking care not to break through the shell. Set aside the pumpkin and its lid in a warm place.
• In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add turnips, carrot, potato, pumpkin meat and enough chicken stock or water to barely cover.
• Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat remaining 6 tablespoons butter, and add bread slices, turning until lightly browned on both sides. Set aside half for garnish, and when soup has come to a boil, add remaining half to the soup.
• Gently simmer soup for 1 hour, stirring once or twice. The soup will be very thick; if it seems in danger of burning, reduce heat and stir in a small amount of broth or water.
• Add cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender, purée the hot soup in the pot until very smooth. Alternatively, remove soup from heat and allow to cool until no longer steaming, then purée in a food processor or blender. Return soup to a clean pot and reheat gently.
• Pour hot soup into pumpkin. Serve from pumpkin, garnishing each serving with one or two reserved toasts.