Chef Mee McCormick from Pinewood Kitchen and Mercantile made Pumpkin Soup. (see recipe below) Pinewood Kitchen and Mercantile is located at 4951 TN-48, Nunnelly, TN 37137. Don't miss the Farm Tour and Cooking Class on Sunday, October 27. For more information, call (931) 729-4562 or visit www.pinewoodkitchenandmercantile.com. Follow Chef Mee McCormick and Pinewood on Instagram @meeemccormick and @pinewoodkitchenandmercantile and on Facebook www.facebook.com/pinewoodstore/.
SOUP
- 2 sugar pumpkins (2 pumpkins yield ~2 1/4 cups (450 g) pumpkin puree) I LOVE North Georgia Candy Roasters
- 2 medium shallots (diced // 2 shallots yield ~1/4 cup or 40 g)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced // 3 cloves yield ~1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g)
- 2 cups organic vegetable broth - homemade or store bought
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey if not vegan
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg
- 1 tbsp of diluted miso paste in 1/4 cup of water (added before serving)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the tops of the sugar pumpkins and then halve them. Use a sharp spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and strings (see notes for a link to roasting seeds).
- Brush the flesh with oil and place face down on the baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then peel away skin and set pumpkin aside.
- To a large saucepan over medium heat add 1 Tbsp olive oil , shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned and translucent. Turn down heat if cooking too quickly.
- Add remaining ingredients, including the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer.
- Transfer soup mixture to a blender to puree the soup.
- Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes and taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add diluted miso just before serving.
- Serve as is or with Kale-Pumpkin Seed topping.
- Recipe serves 3-4 (as originally written). Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to a few days and in the freezer for up to a month or more.
GARLIC KALE PUMPKIN SEED TOPPING (optional)
- 1 cup roughly chopped kale
- 1 large clove garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp raw sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- In a small skillet over medium heat, dry toast pumpkin seeds for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly golden brown. Be careful as they can burn quickly. Remove from pan and set aside.
- To the still hot pan, add olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden brown - about 2 minutes. Add kale and toss, then add a pinch of salt and cover to steam. Cook for another few minutes until kale is wilted and then add sesame seeds back in. Toss to coat and set aside for topping soup.
