Cinderella turned her pumpkin into a golden carriage; I’m turning my pumpkin into a simple curry pumpkin soup with roasted pumpkin seeds.

When the leaves start turning shades of brown, yellow and red, many fruits and vegetables are ripe and ready for eating including apples, pears, beets, potatoes, eggplants, and of course, squash. On a trip to the Piedmont Farmers Market a few weeks ago, all of these fruits and vegetables were on display. Being that is was only days before Halloween, I decided to purchase a small sugar pumpkin, or pie pumpkin, as they were labeled at the market for just two bucks.

Sugar pumpkins, unlike the kinds of pumpkin that many use to carving for jack-o-lanterns are smaller, sweeter, and less grainy in texture, making them far more suitable for cooking.

I wanted to prepare the pumpkins so that later in the week I could throw together and great a tasty soup that I could re-heat and eat throughout the week of busy schoolwork.

Preparing and making the whole meal prove far less difficult then expected; my first step was making my fresh pumpkins into puree.

10 Steps to Fresh Pumpkin Puree
Cut the pumpkin in half. A serrated knife and a sawing motion works best – a smooth knife is more likely to slip and hurt you

Scrape the insides out. You want to get out that stringy, stuff that coats the inside surface. A heavy ice cream scoop works great for this.

Save the seeds for roasting

Preheat the oven to 350øF. Coat the cut surface of the pumpkin halves with vegetable oil.

Place pumpkin halves cut side done in a roasting pan or think cookie sheet. Add 1 cup of water to the pan.

Place the pumpkin in the preheated oven and bake for 60 to 80 minutes. The pumpkin should be baked until the flesh is very tender. Poke with a fork to check for doneness.

When the pumpkin has cooked it will be very tenderness to the touch of the fork, remove Allow to cool

Scrape the flesh out of the pumpkin halves and discard the skins. Place pumpkin flesh in a large bowl.

Mash the pumpkin by hand using a potato masher or use a food processor or blender and puree until all the pumpkin is a smooth consistency.

A helpful step, though not always necessary is to drain any water from the pureed mixture by placing it in a colander or sieve lined with paper towels or a double layer of coffee filters. Be sure the sieve is placed in a bowl to catch the liquid as it drains from the pureed pumpkin. Allow to drain for an hour

Once you have pureed your pumpkin you can place them in a Tupperware and save it in the freezer or in your fridge until you are ready to use the puree. Each pumpkin should yield about 2 to 3 cups of puree.

Easy Curry Pumpkin Soup Vegan or Non- Vegan
Ingredients
Left over pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons curry powder or paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Cayenne to taste
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoons very fine grated fresh ginger (optional, but highly recommended)
1 can vegetable or chicken broth – (14 1/2 oz)
3/4 leftover can of broth full of water
3 cups pumpkin puree or 1 whole pumpkin pureed
3/4 cup coconut milk

Instructions:

Pumpkin seeds

Soak seeds in salt water for 15 -20 minutes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Arrange pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until seeds begin to brown. Set aside to cool

Curry Pumpkin Soup

Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more.

Add broth, sugar, water and puree; mix well. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Stir in coconut milk. Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth. Heat through before serving. Adjust seasonings – sometimes needs a pinch more sugar, salt or cayenne – depending on your tastes. Top soup with roasted pumpkin seeds and enjoy

Note: Adding lump crabmeat on top sophisticates the meal and tastes great!