Fall in Philly Pumpkin Soup with Homemade Garlic Croutons

The morning air is turning crisp and the smell of leaves on the ground are wrapping us in a warm hug. We've pulled our sweaters out of storage and even managed to head to the pumpkin patch to get our jack-o-lanterns for the front step.

But when you let your toddler pick the pumpkins, you end up with a little more than you bargained for. We took our extras and made some pumpkin soup that's easy, flavorful, and perfect for a chilly fall evening.

You can be flexible with your pumpkin here and pick an acorn squash or cheese pumpkin instead of the classic orange variety. The key to getting the flavor is roasting it in the oven on low heat before removing the seeds. It gives you a perfect nutty flavor and the roasted seeds can be shelled and used as a delicious garnish at the end.

Ingredients

SOUP

1 medium sized pumpkin (or acorn squash) cut into sections

1/3 cup of olive oil plus extra for garnish

Salt and pepper

2 apples, peeled, cored and grated

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

4 cups water

1/2 tsp of cumin

1/2 tsp of turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

Chilled sour cream (optional)

Garlic olive oil croutons

Leftover Metuka Freshly Baked Whole Wheat Sourdough

About two slices per person should suffice but the more the merrier.

1/4 cup of olive oil

Granulated garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the pumpkin into manageable sections (leave the seeds and skin on) and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Then lay out on parchment paper on a large tray and put in the oven at 275F for 1 hour. After the pumpkin is soft, put it on low broil for 5 minutes to get a roasted flavor.

Let it cool for 15 minutes before peeling the pumpkin and scooping out the seeds (save them for later!). Chop the pumpkin into smaller pieces and toss in a soup pot on medium heat to sauté. Add salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon and stir frequently for five minutes until fragrant. Then add grated apple and vegetable stock plus water. Let it reach a boil and then turn down and let it simmer for 20 minutes. When the pumpkin is soft, use an immersion blender to homogenize it. If it's too watery, continue cooking with the top off to thicken it. Taste and adjust spices as needed. A teaspoon of dark brown sugar can go a long way if your pumpkin was not a particularly sweet variety.

To make the croutons, slice the wholewheat sourdough bread into small cubes. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and place in a frying pan on medium heat. Toss frequently to avoid burning the garlic. Cook till crispy (about 5 minutes).

Use a knife to carefully shell the pumpkin seeds and garnish the soup with olive oil, coarse salt, seeds and croutons. You can also add a dollop of chilled sour cream if you like.