Pumpkin Soup: Explore the Possibilities

Featured recipe from Cooking with Kaye

Cooking with Kaye: Pumpkin Lovin' Recipes

 

Libby's Best Creamy Pumpkin  Soup 

Vitamin Rich and Delicious
Shared with permission from Very Best Baking by Nestle.

"Creamy Pumpkin Soup makes a great first course for a Thanksgiving meal or fall and winter entertaining." Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and a single serving of this soup provide 220% of the Recommended Daily Value.

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

1 can (14 1/2 fluid ounces) chicken broth

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 can (15 ounces) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and sugar; cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft. Add broth, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, evaporated milk and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to food processor or blender (in batches, if necessary); process until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree mixture. Return to saucepan. Serve warm.

Nutrition: Recipe serves five. Per Serving: 230 calories, 7 grams protein, 15 grams fat (10 grams saturated) 17 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams dietary fiber.


Stir-in Ideas:  
For variety try these yummy stir-in alternatives to the basic creamy soup recipe: 

 

Chicken-Pumpkin Soup

Add 2 cups cooked shredded chicken to soup for last 5 minutes of cooking. Rotisserie chicken works wonderfully in this soup to boost the protein value. 

Tex-Mex Vegetarian Pumpkin Soup

Add 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 (14.5-ounce) can southwestern style diced tomatoes; 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese; 6 green onions, chopped, 1/2 cup sour cream. Add the beans and tomatoes at the same time you add the broth. Cook and stir as directed. Do not process with blender, keep the texture chunky. Ladle soup into bowls, top with cheese, green onions, and sour cream.

Bacon-Pumpkin Soup

Begin by cooking 1/2 pound of chopped bacon, 1 chopped yellow onion, and one clove minced garlic in soup pot over medium-high heat. When bacon is cooked and onions translucent remove 1/4 cup and set aside for garnish. Omit butter and proceed with recipe as directed. Serve warm, garnish with shredded cheddar or diced fresh tomatoes.

Apple-Pumpkin Soup

To add sweetness add 1/3 to ½ cup apple juice to the soup mixture. Or add one small chopped apple to mixture for sweetness and extra fiber. Remove from heat and stir-in ½ cup low-fat cream cheese or Ricotta cheese. Delicious!

Honey-Mustard Pumpkin Soup

Using the Basic Pumpkin Soup recipe omit the Splenda and crushed red pepper. Add 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard. Taste for flavor and adjust accordingly.

Mushroom Pumpkin Soup

In 1 2-quart saucepot sauté ½ cup of chopped yellow onion and 8 ounces sliced mushrooms. Salt & pepper to taste. When vegetables are tender add the Basic Pumpkin Soup ingredients. Bring mixture to a low simmer and heat five minutes. Taste and season with ground nutmeg and Splenda.


More recipes to enjoy: Cooking with Kaye Pumpkin Lovin'