Pumpkin Soup with Smoked Paprika Recipe

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Have you ever tried cooking with smoked paprika? Like chipotle, smoked paprika can add a wonderful smokey dimension to food. It's perfect with this rich and creamy pumpkin soup.

* 1 4-5 pound cooking pumpkin* to yield 6 cups roasted pumpkin OR 3 (15 ounce) cans of pumpkin puree
* 4 Tbsp butter
* 2 medium yellow onions, chopped, about 2 cups
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 pinch cayenne pepper
* 1 large tart green apple (Granny Smith) peeled, cored, chopped (about 2 cups)
* 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
* 1 cup water
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup cream
* 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 sprig fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


1 - To make pumpkin purée, cut a sugar or Kabocha pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff (an ice cream scoop works well for this purpose), lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use.

2 - Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add smoked paprika, cayenne, and cumin and stir for a minute more.

3 - Add chopped apple and pumpkin purée. Add broth, water. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through.

4 - Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender or a food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. If you want extra smooth soup, pass the purée through a food mill, after it's been through the blender. Return the soup to the saucepan.

5 - With soup on low heat, slowly add the milk and cream, stirring to incorporate. Add salt to taste. Adjust other seasonings to taste.

Can make a day ahead.

Serves 8.