Serves 6-8
1 small cooking pumpkin
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
and chopped
1 medium yellow or white onion,
chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1?4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon mild curry powder
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
4 tablespoons canola oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds and save for roasting, or discard. Lightly coat the pumpkin inside and out with oil. Next, mix together the thyme and all of the dried spices in a medium sized mixing bowl with 11?2 tablespoons oil. Add the chopped sweet potato and toss until evenly coated. Place the pumpkin and sweet potatoes onto a non-stick baking sheet and roast for approximately 25 minutes or until everything is tender. Once the pumpkin and potatoes are in the oven, turn a 6-quart stock pot on high and add 11?2 tablespoons oil. When oil is shimmering add the onions and garlic stirring enough to coat with the oil. When the onions begin to caramelize reduce the heat to medium, stir every few minutes being careful not to scorch the bottom.
Once the pumpkin and potatoes are tender, remove them from the oven and add the sweet potatoes to the onions and garlic immediately followed by the 4 cups of water. Allow the pumpkin to cool until it can be handled. Once cool, scoop the meat of the pumpkin from the skin and add to the pot. Bring the pot up to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes stirring every few minutes. Remove some of the cooking liquid and reserve. Pure?e the rest of the soup in a blender or food processor working in batches, adding enough of the reserved liquid to allow soup to blend. Once all the soup is pure?ed, mix it all together with the lemon juice and season with salt to your liking. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and some freshly grated nutmeg.
