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Southwest Pumpkin Soup

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Aroma Of Spices

This soup is full of flavor and very easy to make. I have made it for friends who have loved it, who then make for their friends, who loved it and so on! I found the recipe in a magazine a long time ago and I continue to make it every year.

The southwest spices will give your home a wonderful aroma. There is some brown sugar in the soup, but this isn't a sweet soup. It is suggested as a first course dish, but I always make a double batch and serve it as the main course with some good bread and a salad. You can also make it the day before. Just keep it in the refrigerator and rewarm over medium low heat. You don't want to boil it a second time as it will thin the soup.

So make your friends think you slaved in the kitchen and surprise them with this tasty soup!

The Pumpkin Patch

RECIPE

3 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1 15 oz can pure pumpkin
3 Tbps dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
¾ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro

Bring chicken stock and whipping cream to boil in heavy medium pot. Whisk in canned pumpkin, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, coriander and nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until soup thickens slightly and flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with cheddar cheese and cilantro and serve.

The Southwest

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The spices that make this soup POP!

Cumin

Cumin is a spice that is often used in Middle Eastern, Indian and Cuban foods. Here in the U.S, it is associated with spicy, southwest style foods.
I found out it is native to Syria which is next to Turkey. It found its way to Western Europe and then to the new world. It grows on a plant that gets about 30 cm tall with long spiky leaves. Each fruit contains just one seed, which looks similar to fennel.
Cumin is one of my favorite spices. It doesn't have a lot of heat, but it brings out the flavor of other spices. I really like it in combination with nutmeg. Mix the two with a little brown sugar and put it on salmon!

Chili Powder

According to wikipedia, chili powder is just a generic name for a spice mix of several types of chilis. I know that it comes in different "heat" levels depending on how you like it. I like the non-heat type; it adds flavor without adding heat. I buy all my spices from Penzeys Spices for the high quality and low cost.

Coriander

Coriander and cilantro are the same plant! Coriander is the dried seed of the plant and cilantro is the fresh leaves. Coriander is used in making curry and is often combined with cumin.
I am not that familiar with using coriander, but I use cilantro quite a bit!

Nutmeg

Nutmeg is my favorite spice. I like it because it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is as good in banana bread as it is on fish. The flavor is also what you taste in eggnog! Both nutmeg and mace come from the same fruit.
Interesting tidbit from wikipedia: At one time, nutmeg was one of the most valuable spices. It has been said that in England, several hundred years ago, a few nutmeg nuts could be sold for enough money to enable financial independence for life.