Halloween Pumpkin Soup With Smoked Bacon Recipes

PUMPKIN & BACON SOUP

Steps:

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the oil with 25g butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook on a low heat for 10 mins or until soft. Add 60g bacon and cook for a further 5 mins until the bacon releases its fat. Then increase the heat to medium, add the pumpkin and stock and season. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 40 mins until the pumpkin is soft. Pour in the cream, bring to the boil again and remove from the heat. Set aside some of the liquid, then blend the remaining pumpkin until smooth and velvety, adding liquid back into the pan bit by bit as you go (add more liquid if you like it thinner). Strain through a fine sieve, check the seasoning and set aside.
• Melt the remaining butter in a pan over a high heat and fry the rest of the bacon with black pepper for 5 mins. Divide the bacon between four bowls, reheat the soup and pour over. To serve, sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds and drizzle with maple syrup.

PUMPKIN BISQUE WITH SMOKED GOUDA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Saute onion in drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in the broth, pumpkin, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cool slightly., In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to pan. Stir in cream; heat through. Add cheese; stir until melted. Sprinkle each serving with parsley, bacon and, if desired, additional cheese.

GRANNYDRAGON'S PUMPKIN AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Combine pumpkin, onion, carrot and celery in large soup pot with oil.
• Stir and fry 5 minutes.
• Stir in curry powder and cook 1 minute more.
• Add flour and stir.
• Remove pot from heat and stir in stock.
• Puree with a wand blender or food processor at this point. Return to the soup pot if using the food processor.
• Fry chopped bacon 3 to 4 minutes in separate pan, stirring constantly, until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to the soup pot. Save bacon fat of another use.
• Taste soup to adjust seasoning.
• Bring to the boil, reduce heat to simmer.
• Simmer 5 minutes, stirring.
• Serve soup in bowls. May garnish with roasted pumpkin sees and freshly grated nutmeg.