Well Seasoned Blog

Last week, I found surprising inspiration in a can of good old pumpkin puree. That’s right, in the middle of April – not a turkey dinner in sight. This lonely can of pumpkin has been in my pantry for longer than I care to think about…in fact, I really can’t remember why or when I even bought it. Surely, I must have had a plan for it when I bought it?

Every day (or two) I open my pantry to look for something to add to a meal or turn into a meal. Every day that darn can of pumpkin puree stares me straight in the eye…silently challenging me to do something with it.

My pantry right now finds itself in desperate need of an over-haul and not being one to throw things out, I finally take the bait – crack open that can of pumpkin and start cooking!

Once the can was open, I needed to taste it. Bonus, it was plain old pureed pumpkin, so salt, no sugar and thankfully no pumpkin pie spice, making it the perfect vehicle for tons of recipe ideas. It was kind of rainy and cool, as it tends to be often these days so my first instinct was soup. Yes, I could taste it in my mind…spicy, smooth, rich and satisfying. Oh, but what about pumpkin loaf or a pumpkin cheesecake – those would be good for dessert. Nah, I need another dessert like I need a hole in the head. Pumpkin risotto and pumpkin stuffed pasta, pumpkin chili….the mind reels and I suddenly started to wonder if one can of pumpkin would be enough…

Determined to show this can who was boss, I sautéed an onion in a little butter & threw in some chopped garlic, we were off to a great start. Next up; ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, a little brown sugar and of course some salt & black pepper. Back to the pantry for some peanut butter…yes, you heard me peanut butter we are a crunch house. Into the spicy onion mixture goes the peanut butter and finally the can of pumpkin puree. All of those ingredients made friends pretty quickly, it smelled great. In goes some chicken stock from the freezer and now all it needs is time…time to simmer, to allow all of those flavours to meld. 1 hour later we have a very large very happy pot of spicy peanut pumpkin soup. I smugly ladled the hot soup into serving bowls, tossed on some toasted some pumpkin seeds, a few chopped roasted peanuts and some freshly torn cilantro to garnish. A quick self high-five to celebrate my culinary fortitude and off to the dinner table where the soup satisfied even the toughest critic in the house.

That can of pumpkin puree now sits pathetically empty in the recycle bin, staring back at me; clearly sorry it was so arrogant, knowing it has lost its comfy place in the pantry for good. Until next time canned pumpkin; it was fun while it lasted.

Spicy Peanut Pumpkin Soup

3 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 medium sized cooking onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 cup peanut butter (crunch would be great but whatever you have will work)
8 cups best quality chicken stock
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
freshly ground black pepper & salt to taste
Fresh cilantro, roasted peanuts and toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

In a soup pot over medium high heat melt the butter, add the onion and the garlic – sauté until translucent but not brown. Add the spices (except the salt & pepper) and the brown sugar – stir those into the butter, allowing them to coat the onions and garlic. Add the peanut butter and melt it into the spiced onion mixture – stir in the pumpkin puree and gently whisk to incorporate. Add the chicken stock and season with salt & pepper. Cook the soup over medium heat for 30-60 minutes allowing the flavours to meld and mellow. Right before serving taste and re-season with salt & pepper if necessary. Ladle the hot soup into individual bowls, garnish with chopped peanuts, roasted pumpkin seeds and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.

Note: If it’s too spicy for someone in your house, stir in a little sour cream to reduce the heat. You can also add some leftover chicken into the bottom of the bowl or use a veggie stock if you want a vegetarian version of this soup.