Skinny Pumpkin Soup

Submitted by Matt Simeone

"Easy, tasty fall/winter recipe for those weight-watchers or vegetarians who just went pumpkin picking, or for those wondering what to do with the pumpkins still sitting on their front stoops at Thanksgiving time. Of course you can use canned pumpkin to save time and mess, but it's more fun to use hand-picked ones from local farms. This slimmed-down version is still rich and creamy and will be loved by dieters and non-dieters alike!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs
• Ingredients: 15
• Yields: 2 quarts
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 medium sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes (should yield about 4 cups pumpkin puree)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup carrot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1⁄2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1⁄4 cup half-and-half cream
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon ground sage or 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄4 cup raw unsalted almonds, lightly toasted and rough chopped

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss cut pumpkin cubes in vegetable oil to coat evenly and place in a shallow baking pan. Roast pumpkin in oven until pumpkin is soft enough that a fork pokes into it easily, about 1 hour to 1 and 1/2 hours. Remove pumpkin from oven and let cool.
2. Place chopped yellow onion and carrot into food processor and puree for a few minutes until it forms a thick paste (you can add a little bit of water or stock to the processor in case the vegetables stick to the sides).
3. Melt butter in a medium stock or soup pot on medium heat and add onion/carrot paste. Cook the paste until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add vegetable stock to pot and bring to a simmer, stirring a few times to incorporate the carrot/onion paste.
5. Puree pumpkin cubes in food processor until smooth and add to the pot, along with the half & half, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup, stirring occasionally.
6. When mixture is back to a simmer, add all remaining ingredients except for the almonds and stir together. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Simmer for about an hour for better results. Serve hot and sprinkle some of the chopped toasted almonds on top of each serving.