It finally feels like Fall and I am so glad! I have been missing soups and it is so hard to eat a steamy bowl of soup when it is 98 degrees outside. Last night I made (decaf) Pumpkin Lattes for everyone and we all enjoyed them. The kids were squealing as they drank their "coffee." I used canned pumpkin puree and had half a can leftover-assuming I would just make another batch another day it was saved. Come lunch time today all I wanted was soup-it didn't matter what kind but I HAD to have soup! Then I remembered the pumpkin! My creative juices started flowing-though not as much as I was salivating. The concoction I came up with is both delicious and wholesome, it is also low calorie (until you start dipping saltines into it...) it also is not overpoweringly pumpkin-y like many pumpkin soups I have tried in the past. Right now the kids are diving into theirs, Elijah took a break to spoon feed Addie and complain that she got food on "his" rock and roll shirt-from when he was a baby. I made half of the recipe below for myself, Addie, and Elijah (who had just eaten a pb&j also). This should make about 6-8 side servings or 3 good size main dishes, For around $4 maybe less.
Easy Peppered Pumpkin Soup
6 carrots -or more if you wish -diced or sliced
1/2 stalk celery-diced or sliced
1/2 small yellow onion-diced
2 bouillon cubes (I use "No-chick'n")
1 15oz can 100% pure pumpkin puree
Cornstarch (for thicker soup)
Pepper
Place carrots, celery, onion, and bouillon into a medium to large sauce pan. Add just enough water to cover veggies. Bring to boil then simmer until veggies are tender. At this point I mashed some of the veggies with a whisk so there weren't any large chunks-but not completely I like some chunk. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk in well. Add a dash or 2 of pepper. If soup is too runny put 1-2 tsp cornstarch in about 2 Tbl COLD water and mix well, then add to hot soup and bring back to low boil. Once placed into serving dishes sprinkle on more pepper. We ate ours with saltines. Enjoy!
Some stores sell a frozen "mirepox blend" which is carrot, onion, and celery- here it is 88 cents-though fresh is always better!
