Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) sugar pumpkin (halved, seeded and quartered)
• 2 red bell peppers (quartered)
• 1 Granny Smith apple (quartered and seeded)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 large sweet onion (chopped)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons pepitas

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.

2. 2

   Place pumpkin, bell peppers, apple and thyme in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine.

3. 3

   Place into oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender, stirring at halftime; let cool, then remove skins.*

4. 4

   Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, bell peppers, apple, vegetable stock and sage.

5. 5

   Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5-10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender. Stir in heavy cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more vegetable stock as needed until desired consistency is reached.

6. 6

   Serve immediately, garnished with pepitas, if desired.