Pumpkin Rarebit Soup

Happy Halloween-Eve!

I wanted to cook and have a final product where I saw colors of orange and black- this is pretty good. Pumpkin soup made in a black cast iron ;-)

This recipe can be found in The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen (author of Moosewood cookbooks) on page 33.

4 cups cooked pumpkin
1 cup stock or water
1 1/2 cups light beer or ale (I used Alaskan White)
1 heaping cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. butter
3/4-1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce
freshly-ground pepper (of course!) to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
1 packed cup grated cheddar cheese

1) Using a blender or a food processor, puree the pumpkin in the stock. Combine with beer or ale in a heavy saucepan. Heat just to boiling point. Partially cover, and let it simmer while you:

2) Saute the onions and garlic with salt in butter, Keep these cooking until the onions are very well done, just this side of Brown. (Keep the heat low, and le tthe onions render gracefully and gradually.)

3) Add the onions to the simmering pumpkin puree. Add remaining seasonings and cheese. Stir well, and let it immer partially covered, another 20-30 minutes.

4) Serve topped with croutons and/or walnuts.

Enjoy!

Spicy Peanut & Sweet Potato Soup

1 T olive oil
1 onion
1 med carrot
1-2 t minced, peeled fresh ginger (or more, if you want)
dash of cayenne (MORE!)
1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped
2 1/2 c water, divided
1/2 tomato juice (I used sauce + water because I didn't have juice)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
5 green onions, chopped ( I didn't use this, but I added some chopped cilantro)

Directions: Heat oil, stir onions & carrots and cook until onions are soft. Add ginger and cayenne - cook 1 min. Add sweet potato, 2 c water, tomato juice, salt & pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. About 15 minutes.
Ladle soup into food processor. Add peanut butter. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into clean pan (I just used a hand blender for soups and blended it in the pot the soup was made in- WAY less mess)

Heat soup over low heat. Add remaining 1/2 c water to thin if desired.