Pumpkin-Tomato Bisque
Author: Nancy Baggett
Ingredients
  • About 3⅓ to 3½ pounds fresh whole pumpkin, including seeds
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more if needed
  • About 1½ cups vegetable broth or chicken broth, divided
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (substitute ¼ teaspoon ground ginger if necessary)
  • ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 1 14 to 15 ounce can garlic, basil and oregano seasoned diced tomatoes
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste, optional
  • About 2 tablespoons table cream and/or chopped peanuts for garnish, optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
  2. Cut the pumpkin in half vertically, and scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy pulp.
  3. Rub the flesh surface lightly with melted butter or oil, then sprinkle lightly with ½ teaspoon sea salt.
  4. Cut the pumpkin into three or four large pieces.
  5. Place on a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.
  6. Roast the pumpkin (middle oven rack), uncovered, for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. (Alternatively, arrange the pieces on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a microwave-safe cover and microwave on full power for 16 to 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced in the thickest part with a fork.)
  7. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Then cut the flesh away from the skin. Coarsely chop the pumpkin and discard the skin. You should have about 3½ to 4 cups flesh. (Use it immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)
  8. Combine the chopped pumpkin, ¾ cup broth, allspice, cardamom, and cayenne in a 4-quart pot or saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil gently, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until the pumpkin is soft and the liquid greatly reduced. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until very smooth, at least 3 minutes; stop and scrape down the sides halfway through and don’t under-process.
  9. Return the pureed pumpkin to the pot.
  10. Combine the canned tomatoes and peanut butter in the processor. Process until completely smooth, about 2 minutes; don’t under-process.
  11. Stir the tomato mixture into the pot. As necessary, thin the bisque with more broth or water. Taste and add more salt and black pepper as desired.
  12. Heat to piping hot.
  13. Garnish the servings by adding a teaspoon of table cream to the center top of each soup bowl and then partially swirling it in, or by sprinkling over chopped peanuts, if desired.
  14. Top with freshly ground pepper, if desired.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2011/11/pumpkin-tomato-bisque.html