Pumpkin Soup

This recipe was shared with us from a restaurant by Bravo TV’s Top Chef Stefan Richter.

– Serves 8 –

Ingredients:
1 whole pumpkin
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar
4 quarts chicken stock
1 quart of cream
2 bay leaves
1 cup of AVV Chardonnay
Salt & pepper to taste

Method of Preparation:
Peel and skin the pumpkin – cut in half and remove the seeds. Cut into small chunks. Chop the onion and garlic into small pieces.
Over medium heat in a large pan, sweat/sauté the onion and garlic. Add the pumpkin chunks to pan and roast the mixture for 5 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with AVV Chardonnay, scraping the pan to release all the tasty bits. Add the chicken stock, spices, sugar and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cook until the pumpkin chunks are tender, then add the cream and bring to a boil. Blend with either an immersion blender or by pouring the mixture into a blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then strain the soup through a fine strainer.

Serve while hot and enjoy with a glass of 2010 Alexander Valley Vineyards Estate Merlot.