French Pumpkin Soup

Beginner Cook - Medium Cooking Time - Soup - Vegetarian - Gluten-Free

With fall comes the celebration of all things pumpkin. While there is no shortage of Greek recipes for this wonderful vegetable, it is out of season during our summer visits, limiting my exposure. Instead, I draw inspiration from my kindergarten days in Switzerland, where school children enjoyed two hour lunch breaks allowing for hearty home cooked meals. These lengthy interludes led to frequent lunch dates at friends' homes, which provided exposure to a diverse range of cooking. On one such occasion, my friend's French mother prepared pumpkin soup. What was particularly noteworthy about her recipe was the shredded gruyere at the bottom of the bowl. What would have otherwise been an uneventful meal in the eyes of a six year old, turned into a game of spoon "fishing" for salty cheese melted by the hot pumpkin soup ladled overtop. My friend always comes to mind when pumpkin season rolls around and while I may be older, scooping the salty gooey melted cheese from the bottom of the bowl is still just as fun.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 5 cups fresh pumpkin
• 1 medium onion
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 large carrots
• 8 cups water
• 2 tablespoons half and half
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 pound gruyere or other hard salty cheese

Time - 55 minutes

• Preparation - 20 minutes
• Cooking - 35 minutes

Preparation

• Wash, peel and cut the pumpkin, onion, potatoes, and carrots

• Place the vegetables in a large pot, add water, salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil over high heat

• Once the soup reaches a boil, reduce to medium heat and cook uncovered for approximately 35 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through

• Using a blender, purée the vegetables until smooth and creamy and stir in the half and half

• Before serving, place some grated gruyere or other salty cheese of your choice in the bottom of the bowl

• Ladle the soup over the grated cheese and top with some croutons and chopped parsley