Author: Nancy Baggett
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
- Cut the pumpkin in half vertically, and scoop out and discard the seeds and stringy pulp.
- Rub the flesh surface lightly with melted butter or oil, then sprinkle lightly with ½ teaspoon sea salt.
- Cut the pumpkin into three or four large pieces.
- Place on a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.
- 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.)
- 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.)
- 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.
- Return the pureed pumpkin to the pot.
- Combine the canned tomatoes and peanut butter in the processor. Process until completely smooth, about 2 minutes; don’t under-process.
- 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.
- Heat to piping hot.
- 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.
- Top with freshly ground pepper, if desired.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2011/11/pumpkin-tomato-bisque.html
3.5.3226