Axe Kickin' Pumpkin Soup

This axe kickin' rabbit hole trip continues. with this pumpkin soup.....

Axe Kickin' Pumpkin Soup

After I made the chicken and the subsequent salad, I remembered that I had a package of cooked pumpkin in the freezer. (I always bake and freeze my own pumpkin for recipes and I promise to get that recipe posted before the fall).

Anyway, back to the pumpkin I found in the freezer; since I can't get this sauce out of my brain -- I'm even trying to craft some kind of cocktail (working title hot apple or pumpkin pie) -- it occurred to me that maybe I should marry my frozen pumpkin to the Pumpkin Habanero sauce. I decided on a pumpkin soup which turned out to be a serendipitous decision because I was making lunch for a new friend who is not only a vegetarian but a willing guinea pig for my rabbit hole experiments.

If I were going for meatless, I would probably have made the

mirepoix that I started with to include some bacon or bacon fat. Instead, I decided that the protein would come from some cannellini beans and it was a great decision as the beans also added some texture and body to what would have otherwise been just a cream soup.

When I freeze pumpkin, I always divide it out into 2-cup portions because that's what my pumpkin pie recipe calls for. So for this experiment,I started with 2 cups. I grabbed a container of vegetable broth that I make from my kitchen veggie scraps before they go to compost, and minced up some celery, onion, mushroom and garlic for the mirepoix that sauteed in butter and some olive oil.

When I made this mirepoix, I started the onion and garlic ahead of adding the celery and mushrooms because I wanted the richness of the flavor of the onions caramelizing. Once the mirepoix  was cooked down, I added about 1/2 of a can of cannellini beans reserving the liquid and remaining beans for later.

I added about a tablespoon of the Axe Kickin' pumpkin habanero and my vegetable broth and let it simmer a bit.

While the soup base was simmering, a used a Ninja for puree the pumpkin with the remaining beans and packing liquid. Once that mixture was nice and smooth, I stirred it into the soup and let it simmer until it was well incorporated before adding some heavy cream.

I was planning to garnish the soup with some fresh chopped dill. When I chopped it us, I minced all the stems and added them to the soup to simmer. After that, it was a matter of taste-testing. I added some liquid aminos (gluten free soy sauce alternative), some more hot sauce, and eventually a couple of dashes of lemon juice.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 C olive oil

1 medium onion minced

3--4 cloves of garlic minced

1-2 C celery diced

1-2 C mushrooms diced

Axe Kickin' Pumpkin Habanero sauce

3-4 C vegetable broth

1 can cannellini beans separated

Fresh dill chopped with the stems separated and minced

2 C cooked pumpkin

1 C heavy cream

Salt, acid, and 'heat' to adjust the flavor to your taste (I used aminos, lemon juice and the hot sauce).

Slowly saute the garlic and onion i the butter and olive oil until the onions begin to caramelize.

Add the celery. mushrooms and about a tablespoon of the hot sauce, cover and simmer on low.

Separate the beans setting about half aside with the packing liquid and add the drained beans and minced dill stems to the soup once the mirepoix is cooked down.

Add the vegetable broth to the mix and continue to simmer on low.

While the the simmer is happening, puree the pumpkin with the remaining beans and packing liquid in a Ninja, food processor or a blender with a puree function. (You can use a bit of vegetable broth if necessary to help with the pureeing).

Pour the puree into the soup and stir to combine completely.

Keep the heat on low so things for scorch or stick.

Add the heavy cream while stirring to incorporate. Keep the temperature at just below boiling for the best consistency.

Now you want to give it a taste and adjust the salt, acid, and heat. Start with the salt, whether it's just plain salt or soy or something else to enhance the flavor. Once you've done that, if it still feels like something is missing, add the additional acid (lemon juice or even cider vinegar) will work, and finally, depending on you heat tolerance, add more hot sauce.

When ready to serve, stir in the last of the chopped dill sprigs.

This was yummy served with a slice of whole wheat sourdough and butter for my luncheon guest.