Savory Sweet Pumpkin Soup

To ME, Pumpkin Soup should not be liquid pumpkin pie served in a bowl. I want just the right balance of sweet & savory. Googling recipes for Savory Pumpkin Soup turned up a litany of boring, boring, boring.  Googling Pumpkin Soup gave me more "liquid Pie" recipes...Therefore I knew I had to create my own...using everything but the *Kitchen Sink*. This is my interpretation for the perfect combination to create:

Savory Sweet Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
2 chopped shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
3 cans pumpkin puree
2 cans chicken broth
1 can vegetable broth
1 cup half & half
2 small sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar (a little more or less, depending on your taste)
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, sauté  the shallots, garlic and ginger in butter until soft. Set aside. Add all the other ingredients to a crock pot and stir until blended. Turn crock pot on high, cover. After 30 min stir in the shallots, garlic and ginger. Cook on high another 2 hours. Turn to LOW, and cook for an additional 9 hours, stirring occasionally.

If you serve it in small hollowed-out pumpkins, bake the pumpkin shells in the oven for  about 30 minutes @350. You do not want to cook them thorough, just until they are slightly soft. Ladle the soup into the warm pumpkin bowls. The cooked interior of the pumpkin will continue to lend flavor to the soup.

Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds or a fresh sprig of thyme. If you're feeling really edgy, use both!

Happy Eating!