Beautiful pumpkins are ready from the garden. There is so much more to do with these bright orange vegetables other than just desserts. Savory pumpkin dishes are comforting and richly flavored. We pick them and store them in the coolest part of the pantry over the winter. The type you use for cooking are small and heavy for their size, due to their thick flesh. When picking them from the garden, or buying from the farmers market, only buy pumpkins that have an intact stem and unblemished skin.
Intrigued about trying pumpkin for something other than a pie? Try this delicious pumpkin soup. It's silky smooth and easy to prepare with an immersion blender to make that creamy texture.
1 ″ kabocha pumpkin (peeled and cut into 1 cubes
4 cups chicken broth (just enough to cover the pumpkin)
1 piece of crystallized ginger or small slice of fresh ginger
1/2 yellow onion – chopped
salt to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preparation
1 Melt the butter and saute the onion for a few minutes.
2 Add the kabocha to the pot and cover it with just enough chicken broth to cover the kabocha.
3 Add a small piece of ginger to the pot.
4 Bring it to a boil and cook until the kabocha is soft (about 12 minutes).
5 Add salt to taste (approx. 1 tsp).
6 Pour the soup into a blender and puree.