Pumpkin Soup in a Pumpkin

It's been a mild summer in Illinois. Very few really hot days, and plenty of cool ones. As a result, my craving for Fall weather meals has arrived early. Thankfully, the pumpkins from our garden were harvestable this past week so I took it upon myself to finally make some delicious pumpkin soup.

I have been wanting to make this recipe since reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle last January. Barbara Kingsolver has a wonderful little story around this meal in her novel. I knew the moment I read it I'd be making it with the first available pumpkin from my garden. It can be a little tricky, but I'm still a big fan. For the recipe click here (pdf).

Some tips:

• Make sure to scrape the insides of the pumpkin pretty regularly. Around every 15 minutes or so. The cooked flesh in the soup is definitely the best part. I started by using a spoon, but a long, sharp bread knife ended up working the best.
  
• Toast some of the seeds you scoop out from the middle and sprinkle them on top of your serving.
• We doubled the garlic because we are such garlic fiends. Don't be afraid to experiment a little.
• Pepper is your best friend in this recipe.

Obviously we made this using soy milk and vegetable stock. It came out delicious! Serve with a nice chunk of thick, crusty bread.

Peppery Potato-Leek Soup

Potatoes are in full season right now with many different varieties available at the Farmer's Market. I love love love potatoes and all the different recipes you can make with them. Potato-Leek soup is one of my favorites and as such, I couldn't resist putting together my own vegan version of the classic, hearty soup. Additionally, I added cayenne pepper to the recipe to give the soup a nice little kick.


Peppery Potato-Leek Soup

Ingredients

2 leeks
4 large yukon gold potatoes
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp olive oil
½ cup vegan margarine (stick form works best)
1 tsp celery salt
2 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup vegan unsweetened cream (alternatively, you can use soy milk, but the soup will be thinner)
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper

Chop off the ends of the leeks and cut into slices. In a colander break apart the leek slices and wash thoroughly. Scrub potatoes and slice into quarters. In a large stockpot over medium, heat olive oil and melt 1/4 cup of butter. Add chopped garlic, leeks, celery salt, and potatoes and saute for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups vegetable broth and let simmer 25-30 minutes until potatoes are soft. When potatoes are ready, pulse mixture with hand blender until a thick, soupy texture develops (a potato masher also works). I suggest leaving a few chunks of potatoes behind for a heartier meal. Add rest of butter, cream, pepper, chives, salt, and cayenne. Set heat to medium-low and let sit 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve deliciously hot and tasty.

I recognize this is summer and it might be a little hot for this meal! Another option is to freeze a large portion and reheat it in a stockpot when it's a little colder outside. Either way it is a delicious and filling dinner for all to enjoy.