How about a warming soup of unusual, festive flavor that you can put on the table using pantry-shelf items in little more than half an hour?
This Spiced Pumpkin Soup would grace a formal Thanksgiving feast or fill a hungry interval during any manner of holiday entertaining. Its varied seasoning -- including a touch of curry powder and cayenne -- gives it its lively flavor, and it has enough substance to give a nutritious boost to any kind of meal.Glazed pumpkin seeds are an optional garnish. Making them adds to cooking time, but they could be prepared ahead and stored ready-to-use in an airtight container.
SPICED PUMPKIN SOUP
(About 20 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes to cook)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 leek, sliced, white part only
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Two 14 1/2-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
29-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Salt, black pepper and cayenne (ground red pepper), to taste
Glazed pumpkin seeds (recipe follows), optional garnish
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
Chervil leaves or snipped chives for garnish
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, leek and curry powder. Cook for 10 minutes, being careful not to brown. Add chicken broth and pumpkin puree. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Add pumpkin mixture and butter to container of electric blender, filling up to 4-cup capacity mark or as manufacturer directs. Remove or open center of lid, and begin blending at lowest speed. Blend in batches, if necessary. Blend until smooth. Return to saucepan. Bring just to boil over medium-low heat. Mix in milk and brown sugar. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
To make glazed pumpkin seeds: Coat a sheet of foil with vegetable cooking spray or butter. In 9-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1/2-cup pumpkin seeds, 3 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring to boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is completely absorbed and seeds begin to brown, being careful not to let them burn. (Warning: Toward end of cooking, hot seeds may pop out of pan!) Transfer to foil in single layer; cool.
To serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each with a generous tablespoon of glazed pumpkin seeds if desired, a dollop of whipped cream and chervil leaves. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving without pumpkin seeds: 420 cal., 27 g fat, 65 mg chol., 730 mg sodium, 36 g carbo., 8 g fiber, 8 g pro. Recipe from: Canned Food Alliance.