Pumpkin Soup

Music Inspiration: Let It Rain (Is There Anybody) by Crowder

Prep: 10 mins

Completion: 30 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

Onion, ½ diced small

Garlic fresh, 1 tsp

Butter 3 Tbsp

Pumpkin puree, 1 can, 24 oz

Vegetable Stock (or Chicken stock) 3 ½ cups

Cinnamon 1 tsp

Ground Ginger 1 tsp

Allspice 1 tsp

Ginger fresh, minced, ½ tsp

Brown Sugar 2-4 Tbsp

Maple Syrup, pure, 3 Tbsp

Cinnamon Applesauce, 1 cup

Kosher Salt 2 tsp

Star Anise, 1

Heavy Cream, ½ cup

Aidell’s All Natural Chicken & Apple Sausage

Green Apple (sliced or diced) and chopped Italian Parsley for garnish

Pumpkin Seeds, raw and shelled

Vegetable Oil 1 Tbsp

Let’s Get Cooking:

Sauté onions in butter on medium heat in a large pot until translucent, then add garlic and cook one minute.

Add canned pumpkin puree, stock, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, fresh ginger, brown sugar (start with 2 Tbsp, and add more if your taste preference likes your soup sweeter), maple syrup, cinnamon applesauce, salt, and star anise. Simmer on medium heat until all ingredients are tender, approximately 15 mins.

Roast the pumpkin seeds by tossing them in a little canola or flax oil and a sprinkling of salt. Place them on a sheet pan, and roast at 375 degrees F in the middle of the oven for approx. 10 mins, stirring occasionally for even browning, until golden and crispy.

Cook the Aidell’s sausage according to package directions, then slice into thin pieces.

Remove soup from the heat after simmering for 15 mins. and remove the star anise. Add the heavy cream and stir to incorporate.

Taste the soup, and adjust the salt and sweetness levels as you prefer. If you like a sweeter soup, add additional brown sugar and pure maple syrup as you like.

**If the soup gets too thick, just add a bit more stock or water to thin it to the consistency you like best before serving.

Garnish with sliced green apple, parsley, and roasted pumpkin seeds.