Seasonal Pumpkin-Squash Soups

• Wash hands thoroughly, lathering with soap and rinsing under running water before beginning prep.

Prep pumpkin/squash, apples, and onion

• Wash and dry the pumpkin or squash. Peel them and cut in half. Remove the seeds an chop into medium cubes or about an inch or slightly larger.
• Wash and dry the apples and remove the core. Create thick apple wedges from each half and then slice across the wedges creating pieces.
• Peel the onion and then wash and dry it. Cut the onion in half. Slice longitudinally through the onion half up to the stem end. Then, slice across to create diced pieces.

Making the Soup

• Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat and add pumpkin/squash cubes, apples or pears and onion. Stir to coat with fat and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes until onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper.

  2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 pound pumpkin and/or butternut squash 1 pound apples or pears 1 large onion salt black pepper
• Add the stock (or water), wine, and dried spices (tarragon OR ginger and cloves). Bring to a boil; then, lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, until pumpkin/squash is soft.

  4 ½ cups chicken stock ½ cup white wine ½ teaspooon tarragon ½ teaspoon ginger pinch cloves
• Cool for a few minutes; then, use a hand-held immersion blender to puree, or use a regular blender and puree in batches. (Soup can be cooled and refrigerated at this point up to 3 days until you are ready to serve it.)
• Heat soup thoroughly but do not boil. Add half and half (or coconut or oat milk) and continue heating, taking care not to bring soup to a boil.

  Ladle into cups or bowls and garnish with an additional drizzle of olive oil, if desired.

  Enjoy!

  ½ cup half and half

• Wash hands thoroughly before beginning prep, lathering with soap and rinsing under running water.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Wash and dry the pumpkin, butternut squash and cut them into quarters, removing the seeds. Save the seeds for roasting or another use, if desired.

  1 small pumpkin 1 medium butternut squash
• Wash the carrot and onion. Roughly cut the carrot into large chunks and the onion into several wedges. Separate the cloves from a head of garlic and remove the papery skin.

  1 large carrot 1 large onion 1 head garlic
• In a large roasting pan, arrange the squash quarters, skin side up. Add the carrot, onion, and scatter the garlic cloves around all.
• In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and molasses. Using a pastry brush, coat the pumpkin and squash with this mixture.

  3 Tablespoons olive oil 3 Tablespoons molasses
• Pour 2 ½ cups of stock or water around vegetables in the pan, taking care not to pour it on top of pumpkin and squash. Season all with a dusting of salt and ground pepper. Cover tightly with extra-wide, heavy-duty aluminum foil and transfer to oven. Roast for 1½ hours, until squash and pumpkin are very tender.

  5½ cups chicken or vegetable stock salt black pepper
• Take the roasting pan out of the oven and remove the foil cover. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from pumpkin and squash using a spatula or large metal spoon and place it in a stockpot or round, deep ovenproof casserole dish.

  Discard squash and pumpkin skins. Add the remaining vegetables to the pot, and carefully lift the roasting pan to pour the stock and juices into the vegetables.
• Add the remaining 3 cups of liquid (stock or water), ricotta cheese, mustard, sage, and nutmeg to the soup mixture.

  Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and cool slightly before pureeing with an immersion blender (or puree in batches in a countertop blender). Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired.

  ½ cup ricotta cheese 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 Tablespoon sage leaves ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
• Stir in sherry, if desired, and serve, garnished with fresh sage leaves or roasted pumpkin or squash seeds.