Pumpkin Parmesan Soup

As of today, I am officially back on solid foods: hurray! I had my teeth cleaned today as a victory lap for finishing all my cavity fillings, so now my teeth are extra shiny and ready to dig into things. However, this soup, which was one of my staples over the past week, is too good and too seasonal not to share.

Cavities notwithstanding, I really like soup, and I am sure that when I get around to making a recipe index (someday soon!), I will be astounded by the number of entries in that category. Just tonight, Eric opened the refrigerator and asked me for a quick run-down of which soups were which. This cracked me up to no end. But to return to the soup at hand, it’s actually pretty heavily adapted from our slow cooker cookbook, since I wanted to make it on the stovetop instead. It starts with a hearty handful of garlic.

Part of the reason for making this soup on the stovetop was that I really wanted to use our lovely Le Creuset. It just screams fall, and I never tire of its bright red color.

Part of the draw of this soup is that it’s so savory–no heavy-handed sweetness here, just lots of parmesan punch.

This soup is creamy enough to feel decadent, and pumpkiny enough to feel like a bowl full of fall. Hope you enjoy!

Pumpkin Parmesan Soup
Adapted from Art of the Slow Cooker 

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/8 inch dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
2 quarts water ( or vegetable or chicken broth)
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground white pepper
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tbs. chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (optional)

-Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the skillet, and sauté until tender (do not brown).
-Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, until aromatic. Stir in the pumpkin, water (or broth), nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.
-Reduce heat and simmer soup, covered, for one hour, or until the soup has thickened to the desired consistency.
-Stir in the cream and Parmesan, and heat through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Ladle into bowls and serve.