Pumpkin Soup! A Fall Favorite

We love pumpkin soup and find this time of year perfect for enjoying this treat. I served this with cheddar grilled-cheese sandwiches with a slice of bacon in the sandwich. I always shred my own cheese. It taste so much better and is so fresh!


Ingredients:

1 can of Pumpkin Puree 29 ounce can
1 medium Butternut Squash peeled, softened, and cut into 1 inch cubbed-pieces*
1 can of low sodium Chicken Broth 32 fluid ounces
1 small onion chopped
2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
1 pint cream
6 whole, black peppercorns
Pinch of salt (or to taste)
I sprig of Rosemary
4 slices of bacon
1 Tablespoon of bacon fat
2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Heat olive oil in dutch oven and add chopped onions. Saute until translucent. Add garlic, salt, and peppercorns. Cook until you smell the garlic. Add pumpkin puree, chicken broth, butternut squash, and rosemary sprig. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes (when squash is soft). While soup is cooking, bake bacon at 425 degrees for approximately 15 minutes ( I usually cook more than 4 slices since my family loves bacon).  Reserve 1 Tablespoon of fat and add to soup. Cool bacon and once cooled, crumble to add to soup when it is done.

Cook pumpkin mixture until squash is fully cooked. Remove from heat and use an emulsion blender or regular blender to puree soup.  BE CAREFUL! The soup will be very hot. Add back to pot and mix in cream and bacon. Serve!

*I buy the entire squash, cut in half, remove seeds, and then cook in microwave at 2 minute increments until soften (not full cooked), I cool slightly so that I can peel and cut into 1 inch chunks. However, you can also buy them peeled and cut from the grocery story.