Pumpkin Bisque

Ingredients

• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups diced white onions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves roasted garlic (see tip)
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 cup sherry wine
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
• Drizzle of toasted pumpkin seed oil (optional)

Directions

1. Steam or boil the pumpkin until tender. Set aside.

2. Saute onions on medium heat in olive oil until translucent.

3. Blend pumpkin, garlic, onions, and next 7 ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.

4. Transfer the blended soup to a medium soup pot and place over low-medium heat.

5. Serve warm with garnish of toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of toasted pumpkin-seed oil.

Tip for Roasting Garlic:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice off the top end of a bulb of garlic, cutting off tips of garlic cloves, but leaving the bulb intact. Place garlic bulb on a piece of tin foil large enough to wrap entire bulb. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over the garlic and wrap in the foil. Place garlic on baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Once roasted, allow to cool, then the cloves will slide easily out of their skins.

Photo Credit: Andrew Scrivani