Soup For A Rainy Day

It was suppose to be a rainy evening with cool temperatures, or so I thought. I was ready to bunker down for the evening and make a toasty pot of soup. I've been wanting to make this particular soup but I didn't have the smoked paprika. I keep seeing alot of recipes calling for this spice. It took me 4 different store, but I finally found it. So I shelled out my $4.99 and headed home with my precious ingredient. I was trying to beat the rain.


UPDATE:
This soup was tasty but nothing like I expected. It has a real smokey flavor due to the cumin and paprika. I didn't get the pumpkin flavor that I wanted. This makes alot more soup then a family of 3 can eat, especially when
the kid says

"I don't like anything pumpkin".

My Reply you ask?

"Your not my kid!"



Pumpkin Soup With Smoked Paprika

3 (15 ounce) cans of pumpkin puree
4 Tbsp butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped, about 2 cups
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 large tart green apple (Granny Smith) peeled, cored, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 sprig fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


1. Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add smoked paprika, cayenne, and cumin and stir for a minute more.

2. Add chopped apple and pumpkin purée. Add broth, water. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the apples are cooked through.

3. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender or a food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. If you want extra smooth soup, pass the purée through a food mill, after it's been through the blender. Return the soup to the saucepan.

4. With soup on low heat, slowly add the milk and cream, stirring to incorporate. Add salt to taste. Adjust other seasonings to taste.
Can make a day ahead.
Serves 8.
HT:Simply Recipes