Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Adapted from a recipe from Dean Zanella, executive chef at 312 Chicago. Zanella uses a 4-pound pumpkin to make this first-course soup, but here it is streamlined with canned pumpkin.
4 tablespoons olive oil
12 sage leaves
Salt
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 leek, washed, chopped
½ teaspoon brown sugar
Large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch ground allspice
½ cup apple cider
¼ cup dry white wine
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
¼ cup half-and-half or whipping cream
Freshly ground pepper
Roasted pumpkin seeds, optional
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add sage leaves; cook until leaves turn a deep green, 20-30 seconds, making sure leaves do not become brown. Remove leaves; drain on paper towels. Season with salt; set aside. Pour the hot sage oil into a metal bowl; let cool.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add bacon and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the bacon is just turning golden, about 7 minutes. Add carrot, leek, brown sugar, nutmeg and allspice; cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add cider and wine; cook until almost evaporated. Add broth and pumpkin; simmer until heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor, about 1 minute per batch. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into the stockpot; add half-and-half, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. If soup is too thick, add additional broth. Reheat if necessary. Pour into bowls; top with a drizzle of sage oil, fried sage leaves and pumpkin seeds.
Nutrition information per serving: 130 calories, 54 percent calories from fat, 9 g fat, 1.6 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 765 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 2.8 g fiber
© 2002, Chicago Tribune.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.