1 small pumpkin (about 3 lbs.), peeled, seeds removed and cut into chunks
2 whole cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 to 3 slices of bacon
oyster mushrooms, chopped
½ cup peeled and chopped apple (optional but highly recommended)
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves
feta cheese
extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350f (180c). Pull out a roasting tray and add pumpkin, garlic cloves a splash of olive oil and cumin. Toss to combine and roast in the oven 40 minutes or until soft and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, in a frying pan cook bacon. Remove from pan and place on paper towel. If there’s any bacon fat, remove all but 1 tablespoon. Add sages leaves and cook over medium heat until slightly crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel. Add mushroom to the pan and sauté until soft and lightly browned.
When pumpkin is done, remove from oven and place in a saucepan. Remove skins from garlic and add to pan along with chicken broth and chopped apple. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and use a hand blender to purée soup. When ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon, mushrooms and crumbled feta cheese. Crumble sage leaves over the bowl and lightly drizzle with olive oil.
Notes
The Culinary Chase’s Note: If soup is too thick, thin with more stock or water. Enjoy!
Recipe by The Culinary Chase at https://theculinarychase.com/2014/09/pumpkin-soup/