Cooking with Pete and Barb Marczyk: Pumpkin soup

Barb is in a book club, and four times a year, she and her friends meet to discuss the assigned book club reading, drink wine and eat. Fellow book club member Kristen Sloan recently made a pumpkin soup for the group, the recipe of which is on the following page. "On a blustery fall night, it really hits the spot, and we all really like the heat in it," says Barb. The recipe calls for canned pumpkin, but you can certainly roast a pie pumpkin and use that instead.

Pumpkin Soup

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Two 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more
4 cups unsalted chicken broth
¾ cup half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Candied ginger, finely diced

Directions

1. Saute onions in butter, until translucent.
2. Add powdered ginger, red pepper flakes and chicken broth. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. In small batches, puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender. *Remember, hot liquid makes the top of the blender pop off.*
4. Return the soup back to pot on stove. Add half and half and stir, being careful not to let the soup come to a boil.
5. Serve with candied ginger sprinkled on top.

For more from Pete, Barbara and Marczyk Fine Foods, visit the market website. And be sure to check out Pete's blog.