Ingredients;
1 medium sized pumpkin, well scrubbed.

Carve a lid for the pumpkin and clean out the seeds and stringy part.

Bake or microwave the pumpkin 15 to 45 min. till some of the flesh is partially cooked.

Scrape out enough meat to make 3 cups. Be careful not to make a hole in the bottom.

1 small onion (diced roughly)

2 TB oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed.

A pinch of nutmeg

6 Cups (1½ liter) of chicken stock or water and chicken stock cubes.

1 bay leaf

½  cup cream (milk or half and half can be substituted)

Fresh ground black pepper, fresh chopped chives and good quality croutons,  for the garnish.

 

 Directions;

Add the onion and the oil to a pan. Sauté without the onion turning color for a few minutes.

Add pumpkin and the potato, cook just a minute more.

Add the nutmeg.

Add stock or water and stock cubes to pan (be very careful when adding liquid to a hot pan, its better and safer to add warm liquid to a hot pan as that way it won’t spit up at you and possibly scald your face).

Bring to a boil and simmer for about ½ hour

Remove the bay leaf.

Now puree in a blender or food processor.

 Place the soup in the pumpkin and stir in the cream, half and half or milk. and cover with lid. Keep warm on a flat pan in the oven. 

To serve, ladle the soup from the pumpkin into bowls, let your guests add chives and toasty croutons to it.

*I have also hollowed out the little ornamental pumpkins and used them as individual soup bowls. However, I use winter squash or even canned pumpkin instead of the meat in the little pumpkins.

Recipe adapted from Chef Warren Lower