HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE PUMPKIN, AND PUMPKIN SOUP

The pumpkin roasts itself, and the soup nearly makes itself! Can't get much easier - and more autumn - than this. You can roast, peel, and cut the pumpkin a day or two before and store it in the fridge to save on prep time.

Serve with grilled cheese or baked polenta with vegetables for an easy weeknight dinner.

Any winter squash - butternut, acorn, delicata, spaghetti squash - can be roasted like this. Smaller squashes will take less time so keep an eye on the oven, checking the squash periodically after the initial 30 minutes of cooking.

Roasted Pumpkin and Pumpkin Soup
Makes: 6 generous servings

- 1 6 lb sugar pumpkin or any other cooking pumpkin
- 32 oz. vegetable broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into large chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, cut into a few large pieces
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil (or any other cooking fat of choice)
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1-1/2 tsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. sugar

Optional, for garnish:
- 6 tbsp. roasted pumpkin seeds
- Or any one of the following: cream, yogurt, pumpkin oil, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Roasted Pumpkin:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.
2. Remove any stickers from the pumpkin, wash, and put the whole pumpkin on a rimmed baking pan and into the oven.
3. Let it roast for 1 hour or until a knife can be easily inserted into the pumpkin. (If you're making pumpkin soup, now's the time to saute the onions and garlic - see recipe below).
4. Remove the pan from the oven, and make a couple of cuts in the pumpkin to let steam out.
5. After 20 minutes or so, cut the pumpkin in half and let the halves cool on the pan.
6. When it's cool enough to handle, use a spoon to remove the seeds and strings from the seed pocket. Make sure to remove all the stringy bits.
7. Cut each pumpkin half into 3 wedges and pull the skin off. The skin will be papery and separate already from roasting so it'll come right off without a knife.
8. Make pumpkin soup (recipe below).
9. Or, mash or blend the pulp and use within 2 days or freeze immediately up to a month.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup:

1. While the pumpkin is roasting, heat the coconut oil (or whatever cooking fat you're using) on medium heat and sautee the onion and garlic. Let it all cool.
2. Break the roasted pumpkin wedges (see step 7 above) into pieces and put in a blender.
3. Add the sautéed onions and garlic, salt, sugar, and all the spices.
4. Add 2 cups broth or enough to be able to blend everything into a thick purée until no stringy bits or chunks remain. Add the rest of the broth.
5. If it's too thick, add water (or milk/cream) to get a consistency you like.
6. Before taking it out of the blender, taste and adjust seasonings, blend it all one last time.
7. Transfer to a pan and reheat the soup to a simmer.
8. Ladle into bowls.
9. Garnish each bowl with a tbsp. of the roasted pumpkin seeds before serving.