Have pumpkins, will carve and make soup

Today was our annual Pumpkin Carving Get Together. It all started 8 years ago, just the two of us, my husband and I carving a pumpkin. Today, there were 12 of us and 6 pumpkins. Needless to say, there was a lot of pumpkin, seeds and all around fun.

A pumpkin in all its glory

While the kiddies and adults alike were carving their chosen designs, I was in the kitchen preparing the pumpkin soup. The first time I tried this soup was in England with my husband's family. I was dubious at first, but I have to say, I look forward to it every year. While it's easier just to purchase a pumpkin and cut it up, it's just as fun to scoop it all out before carving your masterpiece to light up on All Hallows' Eve.

Making the soup is very easy, and well worth it. While I adjust this a little (I use more pumpkin and less stock for a thicker soup), here's a basic recipe a dear friend gave me when I lived in England; hence the weight measurements.

25g butter
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1.25 kg fresh pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded (see recipe below for toasted pumpkin seeds), cubed
1.2 litres chicken stock
1 tsp ground coriander
1 small chilli, de-seeded and chopped (leave the seeds in if you want it with a little heat)
250 ml of cream (I find this a little too much and use whole milk instead, but it's up to individual tastes)
salt and pepper to taste

Mmmm good!

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic over a low heat until soft. Add the pumpkin, stock, coriander and chili. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pumpkin is tender, stirring once or twice. Puree the soup using a blender or a submersion hand blender. I recommend purchasing a submersion blender if you make a lot of pureed soups. You can blend the soup directly in the pot you've cooked the soup in instead of having to puree in batches. Canadian Tire often has the Kitchen Aid submersion blender on sale, especially this time of year.

Once you've pureed the soup, add your cream, salt and pepper. Gently heat through and serve.



Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

This can be adjusted depending on how many seeds you get. Your average pumpkin has about a cup.

1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 1/4 tbs butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed hot pepper flakes

Preheat over to 250 degrees. Rinse and pat dry the seeds, and put in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce, butter and salt. Cover thoroughly. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Bake until crisp.  I find it usually takes about 1 1/2 hours.

While the soup was cooking, the carving continued. All 6 pumpkins turned out fantastic. The secret? Carve the small, intricate parts first. My secret? When time is tight, carve a traditional looking pumpkin.

Carving a masterpiece for little Harrison

So, our pumpkins are carved and out front, ready to be lit tomorrow night for all the ghouls and goblins to see. The only thing left to do is dress up. Oh, and toast those pumpkin seeds.

Happy Halloween!

Traditional, Mickey Mouse, an Owl, Ariel, a bat, and an old tree in a graveyard