Harvest Pumpkin Soup

Serves: 6
1 small sugar pumpkin*
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable or chicken stock
3 cups water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 small parsnip (about 4 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small Yukon gold potato (about 6 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 small turnip (about 4 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped
2 small shallots, minced (about ¼ cup)
½ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 small thyme sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Place pumpkin halves, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes.
2. ​Scoop out flesh, and puree in a food processor (you should have about 2 cups).
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
4. Add shallots, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes, until translucent.
5. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and let it melt. Add pumpkin puree, parsnip, potato, and turnip, and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add wine, and cook until liquid has reduced by half.
7. Add stock, water, and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer; cook 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
8. Pass soup through a food mill into a clean saucepan, or puree in a food processor in small batches until smooth. (If soup does not reach desired consistency using a food processor, press it through a fine sieve to remove any remaining lumps.)
9. Heat soup in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in cream, sugar, salt, and pepper.
10. Garnish as desired and serve.

​*NOTE: You can substitute two 15 oz. cans of pureed pumpkin if you wish.