Thanksgiving Recipe: Local Roasted Cheese Pumpkin Soup

We've asked local chefs to submit their favorite recipes that are appropriate for the Thanksgiving table. Here's is Executive Joe Realmuto's recipe for pumpkin soup.

Local Roasted Cheese Pumpkin Soup 

• 1 4lb Cheese Pumpkin, cut in half, seeds and scooped
• 1 cup Water
• ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 large Spanish Onion, peeled
• 2 ea Cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups Chicken broth
• 2 ea Whole cinnamon sticks
• Salt and freshly ground black (about 1/4 tsp. or to taste)
• ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely minced
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• ¼ cup Maple Syrup
• 1 tbsp.Fresh Parsley, minced

Procedure:

Cut Pumpkin in half and remove seeds from pumpkin. Rinse seeds under water, let dry and roast in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Reserve for garnish.

Season inside of the Cheese pumpkin with Salt and Pepper and place in a roasting pan cut side down with one cup of water.

Place in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until it is soft to touch and tender to a knife.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Once the pumpkin is cool scoop the flesh from the skin and reserve.

Heat a heavy bottom pot over med flame.  Add oil and warm till you see it start to ripple.  Add onions and garlic and sweat for 8-10 minutes over med flame stirring so the vegetables do not take on any color.  Once the vegetables are soft and translucent add the reserved pumpkin, chicken broth, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger with a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper, bring to a boil and lower to a light simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon sticks and puree the soup in a blender or with an emulsion stick blender till it is a smooth puree.  Put back in pot add cream and maple syrup and bring back to a simmer. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve soup to your guests and after ladling garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds and fresh chopped parsley.

-- Chef Joseph Realmuto