This is from my Cooking Light magazine, November 2012. I had a pumpkin squash I had been waiting to use from the garden for over a month now, so I was pretty excited to be able to use it. The other ingredient I've never used before that I found utterly amazing is called "five-spice powder". It is an Asian spice comprised of China cassia cinnamon, star anise, anise seed, ginger, and cloves. I bought mine from Penzy's Spices.
I've, of course, taken some liberties with some of the ingredients and measurements, but it turned out fantastic!
Without further delay, here is a fall favorite of mine:
Creamy Pumpkin-Red Pepper Soup
Hands-on Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
The gorgeous veggies ready to go in the oven for roasting with the awesome spices! |
2 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
2 cups chopped & peeled sweet potato
1 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp. five-spice powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 tsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp. salt
6 cups no-salt-added chicken stock
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Fresh rosemary (garnish)
Almond slivers (garnish)
Parmigiano Reggiano (garnish)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine first 8 ingredients (from pumpkin squash to salt) in a large mixing bowl. Toss well, and place vegetable mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan or large cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender, only stirring once.
3. Combine vegetables, stock, and a dash of salt in a large cooking pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and then let simmer for 5 minutes. I added another dash of cumin and five-spice powder for good measure. :)
4. Put butter in large bowl.
5. Place part of vegetable mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of the blender lid (to allow steam to escape.) Place a clean towel over opening in the blender lid (to avoid splatters). Process until smooth. Pour into large bowl. Repeat this procedure with the remaining vegetable/stock mixture. Stir in butter. Top with fresh rosemary, slivered almonds, and/or parmigiano reggiano, if desired.
The final product with fresh rosemary sprigs, slivered almonds, green onions, and parmigiano reggiano. |
Nutritional Information (1 cup per serving)
Calories: 120
Fat: 3.8 g
Protein: 6.2 g
Carbs: 16.2 g
Fiber: 2.9 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 279 mg