Roasted Pumpkin Soup

I bought a beautiful organic pumpkin to carve for Halloween and then it rained most of the day, so I didn't carved it.  I figured we wouldn't get any trick or treaters anyway.  (we only had four).  Mr. RK was happy to eat all the extra chocolate, but what to do with that beautiful pumpkin?

Not wanting to waste a perfectly good pumpkin, I turned it into soup.  Now, I don't recommend using the jack-o-lantern type of pumpkin to make soup.  They're not as flavorful as the smaller sugar pie pumpkins and their texture is more stringy.  However, if you roast them well and puree well in a blender, it does work. Most of the flavor from this soup comes from the roasted apples and the seasonings anyway.  I garnished the top with a little non-dairy sour cream and some shelled pumpkin seeds.  

A hearty soup is the perfect dinner for a cold rainy fall day.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Serves 4 to 6 -  Use organic ingredients whenever possible

4 cups roasted sugar pie pumpkin
2 apples
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
2 cups vegetable broth or Un-Chicken broth
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup non dairy sour cream + more for decorating the top
Shelled pumpkin seeds for garnish

Preheat your oven to 425°
Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and goop.
Rub the inside of the halves with the tablespoon of olive oil.
Put the halves in a roasting pan cut side up.
Roast for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender when poked with a fork.
Cut the apples in half and remove the core.
After the pumpkin has roasted for 25 minutes add the apple halves to the roasting pan.
Remove from oven and let cool a little.
Remove the pumpkin pulp from the skin and measure out 4 cups.
Warm the tsp of oil in a big pot over a medium low heat.
Dice the onion and saute in the oil until golden brown.
Put 2 cups of the pumpkin, one of the apples, the onion and one cup of broth in a blender.
Puree until completely smooth and pour back into the pot.
Puree the other half of the pumpkin, the other apple and the other cup of broth.
Pour that into the pot as well, along with the maple syrup, spices and salt.
Stir and warm over a medium low heat
Add the non dairy sour cream and stir until blended.
Serve immediately with a sour cream and pumpkin seed garnish.

My other pumpkin recipe: 

Pumpkin Risotto with Caramelized Onions and Hazelnuts