pumpkin soup!

i don't cook very often.  i microwave stuff from trader joe's a lot, and i order a lot of pizza-- not so much with the cooking from ingredients.  last night i made a pumpkin soup and it came out well and i want to commemorate it!  (it was a little bland-- i'd probably add ginger if i did it again-- but still pretty yummy.)  i looked up a couple recipes on epicurious and sort of improvised from them.

ingredients:

• mediumish small pumpkin
• 1 red apple
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup half and half
• some cinnamon sticks
• allspice to taste
• cloves to taste (not much!)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup sour cream

Things I didn't have that I bet would make it better:

• ginger
• lemon juice/ orange juice
• possibly some garlic
• possibly some curry powder if you wanted it spicy!
• possibly some curry powder

equipment:

• you'll need a blender or a food processor or something for the pumpkin.

directions:

1. chop up the pumpkin, scoop out the insides, put the seeds aside if you want to eat them later or else throw them away if you don't.  chop up the apple.
2. put the pumpkin and the apple through the food processor or blender.  they don't need to be liquid at the end, but they should be in very very small pieces.
3. dump the pumpkin, apple, water, half and half, cinnamon sticks, and allspice into a saucepan and bring them to a simmer over medium-ish heat.  whisk them obsessively while they're getting up to simmer.
4. while they're getting up to a simmer, mix the cloves, butter, and maple syrup together in a cup.
5. once the pumpkin stuff is simmering, whisk in the cloves and stuff.
6. let the soup simmer for awhile.  the recipe i used most heavily said 10 minutes, but i went more like 15 or 20 because it was a little watery.  during this time, whisk regularly.
7. when it smells good and looks cooked, but too watery, add the sour cream.  simmer for a few more minutes.  this will thicken it nicely.
8. if it's too thick, add water.  if not, more sour cream.

yay!  enjoy!

xoxo

nabil

Edited to add:  I don't care what you drink this with, but it is best served in a red Fiestaware cup on a yellow Fiestaware saucer.
Plus also it is good for brekkies the next morning.