Pumpkin Soup
Bring the color of fall to your table with this incredible creamy soup that is easy to prepare. With just a few ingredients, you can create a soup that will provide cozy comfort to your dinner guests. Present the soup in a carved-out pumpkin to add a creative, holiday touch to your table. Yields 4-6 Servings
Ingredients
1/2 large onion, minced
1/4 cup corn oil
1/2 cup short grain rice
1 bouquet garni (1 leek, 1 tarragon sprig, 1 thyme sprig, 1 bay leaf, 6 cloves, 1 1-inch piece vanilla bean)
2- 15 oz. cans pumpkin puree
32 oz. of chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 cups cream (for thickening)
Directions
1 Add oil to a non-stick pan. Add onions to pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Sweat the onions by cooking them over low heat, stirring occasionally. Make sure to place the lid back on top of the pan after stirring. Continue to cook, stir, and cover until onions are translucent and have a soft texture.
2 Add rice, bouquet garni, and pumpkin puree; heat through. Add chicken stock until desired consistency is reached. Remove bouquet garni from soup then puree soup and strain through a fine sieve. If thinner consistency is desired, add more chicken stock.
3 Season the soup with salt and pepper. If the consistency is too thin after adding chicken stock, you can thicken the soup with 2 cups of cream.

recipe from: 11/3/08