as requested

My Pumpkin Soup Recipe

2 ½ pounds fresh pumpkin, cleaned and peeled, or 45 ounces of prepared pumpkin
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 T. butter
2 T. quick-cooking tapioca
10 cups of Chicken or Vegetable stock
Nutmeg, salt, pepper, sugar, and curry powder, all to taste
2 cups of half and half

Peel the pumpkin and cut into large pieces. Steam until tender, about 45 minutes. Or, you can bake the pieces until tender. If using prepared pumpkin, omit this step.

Note: dealing with fresh pumpkin can be tricky. The quality and texture of pumpkin meat is pretty inconsistent (sometimes stringy!) and it’s hard to know how to predict when picking a pumpkin. I suggest making this recipe with prepared pumpkin the first time, to get a sense of what you’re shooting for. Another idea is to use butternut squash, which is reliably smooth when baked.

Sauté the celery and onion in the butter until tender.

Simmer the tapioca in 2 cups of the stock until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir this regularly while cooking. Then set aside.

If using fresh pumpkin, purée in a food processor using a bit of the stock. Place the pumpkin, fresh or prepared, in a 6 qt. soup pot and then purée the sautéed celery and onion with a bit of the stock. Add to the pot. Add the remaining stock and bring to a simmer. Be careful that you don't burn this soup.

Add the tapioca, nutmeg, salt, pepper, sugar, and curry powder, all to taste.

When all is hot and ready to serve, blend in the half and half and do another taste test. You’ll probably want to add some more of the spices.

Then, serve!

Garnish idea: pan-fried pumpkin seeds