Fall Meals: Pumpkin Soup

Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon, Cloves, and Mint Cream

By: Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin, authors of The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 large white or yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 large jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped

1 large (28-ounce) can puréed pumpkin

5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water

1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves, plus extra for garnish

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

In a stockpot, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add onions, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent (5 to 7 minutes).

Add cinnamon, cloves, and jalapeno, give it a couple of stirs, and continue to cook for another minute. Add pumpkin purée, broth or water, and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While soup is cooking, make the mint cream. Place the mint leaves in a food processor and process until minced. Add the sour cream and process until well combined. Set aside.

Using an immersion blender (or in batches in a countertop blender or food processor), purée the soup until smooth. Just before serving, reheat the soup over medium heat. Stir in half-and-half and continue heating until hot, but do not bring to a boil.

Serve the soup garnished with a swirl or dollop of the mint cream and a sprig of mint.

Serves 6.

This soup and mint cream can be made a couple of days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Add the half-and-half just before serving.

Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin are the authors of The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy —a hip, fun, and practical guide to cooking strikingly sophisticated, yet surprisingly simple dishes. With more than 125 delightfully easy recipes, the book proves that anyone—even those short on time, patience, skill, or experience—can cook impressive meals with minimal effort. You can visit the authors’ blog at www.TwoLazyGourmets.com, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter