Punky Pumpkin Soup

Feeling Autumn's cool breezes, leaves falling from the Oaks, and a little like snuggling? Here is a seasonal recipe, that I conjured up with my dear friend Sharon. This recipe is perfect for warming up your home and welcoming the harvest. This is the hot shot of all pumpkin soups, and it will knock everyone's socks off with delicious flavors.

2 cups of chopped pumpkin
3/4 cup of yellow squash
3/4 cup of mushrooms
1/4 cup of red onion
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
3 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of fresh basil
1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil 
Dashes of garlic
Dashes of black pepper
Dashes of paprika
Dashes of cayenne 
Dashes of sea salt


First carve out pumpkin and get the meat of the pumpkin to cut into bite size cubes. You can save the seeds to roast later. Next chop all vegetables into small bite size pieces. In a 10 quart stock pot, use olive oil to saute onions and ginger. Add pumpkin and squash, cooking until they are softened. Adding a splash of water can speed up the softening process. Continue sauteing while adding mushrooms. Next add chicken broth making sure liquid covers all vegetables. Next add tomatoes, stirring and attending to soup in medium to low heat. Add season to your liking. Simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes, stirring soup infrequently, add more salt if needed. When you are ready to serve, lastly add ricotta cheese and basil, but stirring lightly. Serve into soup tureen for showing off! Enjoy with bread sticks or warmed baguette and salted butter.  

Recipe serves 2 comfortably.
You can double the ingredients of the recipe if you need to serve more people.

Happy Autumn Days!

~Tarabud