Kuerbis Suppe (Pumpkin Soup)

First, I’d like to start off by saying, there are no exact measurements.  It’s all based on approximations.  So given that fact, I don’t know how big of a pumpkin you need to buy.  If you know what a regular pumpkin looks like (the orange kind that people use to carve funny faces in), buy a medium sized of that kind of pumpkin.  Other types of pumpkin make good soups too, so experiment.  The type of pumpkin here is called Hokkaido.  Our teacher told us a Muskat pumpkin makes the best soup, but these are super large and you have to buy a small portion of it at a farmer’s market.   So stick with a medium sized pumpkin.

Once you have your pumpkin, cut off the stem on the top and bottom and take a knife and slowly rock it into the pumpkin to cut it in half (like you would cut a watermelon).  It’s hard work so find a friend to do it for you (or a husband).  Once you’ve cut it in half, dig out the seeds with a spoon. Now lay the inside of the pumpkin face down and slice each half in half.  Now you have 4 quarters of a pumpkin (yes, I was a math minor).  Cut each quarter one more time in half.  So now you have (drumroll please), 8 pieces of pumpkin!

Now, slice the pieces of pumpkin into smaller chunks until your hand is too tired to continue.  If you’re observant, you’ll notice that we did not remove the peel of the pumpkin.  That’s because you can eat it and it’s actually the best part for you. If you’ve choosen another type of pumpkin, I can’t vouch for it’s edibility so check before you try it.

Now, we’re ready to start on the soup.  You’ll need:

Onion (diced)
Butter
Pumpkin (see the above paragraphs)
Water
Vegetable Bouillon
Dry Sherry (1/2 cup)
Salt & Pepper
Half and Half (1/4 cup)
Nutmeg
Parsley
Pumpkin Seed Oil (optional)

• Saute the onion in butter until the onion is transparent.
• Add the pumpkin and cook for about 5 minutes.

• Add 1/2 cup Sherry and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Heat 20oz of water and add 2 Tbsp Vegetable Bouillon – add it to the soup (the amount of water you add will depend on how much pumpkin you have.  If it’s too thick at the end, you can add more water.  So when in doubt, start with less water).
• Let this mixture cook until the pumpkin is soft (about 10 minutes).
• Now take a handheld puree mixer and puree the soup (if you don’t have one, you can use a food processor instead – it’s just more of a pain).
• Now add 1/4 cup Half and Half (or more if you’d like it to be extra creamy)
• Now comes the experiment.  Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and parsley until it tastes just right to you.  This is a preference thing…
• Finally, add a Tbsp of Pumpkin seed oil to the soup and mix it well.

That’s about it.  This should make enough for 5 people.  Pumpkin soup is very filling so beware!

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