This is one of those recipes that caused a great deal of excitement in my kitchen. Not only did it give me license to buy more than my share of “pie” pumpkins- but it also gave me license to use pumpkin as an ingredient in Southern cooking.

It seems my beliefs that pumpkins are a Yankee creation and only used in Yankee cooking except the alloted pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving was wrong. This is one of those times that I valued being wrong. So, armed with this new information, I set out to make my first Southern dish using pumpkins- Pumpkin Soup.

Since fall is my favorite time of year, it only reasons that fall foods are my favorite foods. Pumpkins, butternut and acorn squashes could be eaten daily and my body seems to crave them any way I can get them. Soup is warm and comforting any time of the year, and this soup can be adapted in a multitude of ways to suit a multitude of tastes and weight conscious scenarios.

This is not the first time that I have made pumpkin soup, but it is the first time that I have made pumkin soup as a way to express Southern cooking. Clearly the addition of thyme is one ingredient that separates the North and the South. The fact that I served this with Southern Cornmeal Muffins is the other.

So, follow these simple steps and take some creative license and you will be comforted with a warm bowl of Pumpkin Soup while savoring warm bites of moist Southern Cornmeal Muffins. Life at it’s simplest is pretty good, I must say.

Cook the pumpkins as directed as well as the vegetables. From that point on, let your tastes dictate how you will finish off the recipe. I chose to omit the sherry, and add the cream. In retrospect, I think the sherry would enhance the flavor immensely, but I don’t drink or pour so did not make this flavor correction. Next time that I make this, I will omit the cream going for a healthier version and hopefully a stronger pumpkin flavor.

In my haste to get in as much on my day off as possible, I pureed the bay leave in error. Don’t forget to take it out before pureeing the soup mixture. If you want to get real fancy and I have done this-gotten real fancy.  Buy some extra pumpkins which you will roast in the oven for a little while and serve your soup in the pumpkin.

The best part of serving Pumpkin Soup in a pumpkin is not only the presentation, but the soft fleshly pieces of pumpkin you get to scoop off the edges when your soup is finished. Since my daughter’s beau is gluten-intolerant we made my Southern cornmeal muffins gluten free.

Gluten-free or not, I am going to make them this way again. They had a custardy texture in the center and the stone ground cornmeal gave it a great authernitic flavor. Moist savory little mounds that almost-manage to fit in my mouth to be enjoyed as a one bite treat-almost. I will talk more about cornmeal muffins once again and show you some other options, but for now visit the originial story on cornmeal muffins (use the Southern Cornmeal Muffin recipe) and totally omit the little flour that is required and replace with cornmea. Your batter will seperate with the milk floating on top when poured into muffin tins, don’t worry-all is well.

Pumpkin Soup

Adapted; Scott Peacock & Edna Lewis-The Gift of Southern Cooking

2 small pumpkin (about 4 lbs) or canned pumpkin

6 slices bacon

1 large sweet onion

2 small shallots

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

6 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup sherry

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Split the pumpkins in half and remove the seeds and fiber from them. Place them on a parchment lined roasting side, cut side down and add 1 cup water to pan.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the skin is a nice deep color and the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife.
• Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle.
• Peel off the skin, or alternately scoop out the flesh and set aside in a bowl.
• While the pumpkin is baking prepare your other ingredients.
• Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and cook in a heavy soup pot over medium-low heat till nice and brown. When done, remove bacon pieces and set aside.
• Keeping the bacon fat in the pot add your onions, shallots, leeks and garlic and saute over medium-high heat, stirring often so that the mixture doesn’t burn, for about 5 minutes.
• Add your thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, nutmeg and pumpkin. Stir the pumpkin well with the other ingredients and saute for about 5 minutes longer. Be careful that your vegetables do not burn.
• Add your chicken stock, bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes longer.
• Remove the bay leaf from the pot, and carefully pour the mixture into a food processor or blender in batches and puree till smooth.
• Return the mixture to the soup pot or dutch oven and bring the soup to a simmer again.
• Add the sherry, and simmer gently for 3-5 minutes. Add the cream if desired and taste for seasoning as you might need more salt, pepper and or nutmeg.
• Serve with fresh grated nutmeg and the browned bacon bits on top.