Pumpkin Chile Vichyssoise

Sweet pumpkin, smoky chiles, and tangy buttermilk make this a great cold-weather soup. Be creative with substituting other spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cumin, etc.) to change the feel of the soup. It's great hot or cold with a bit of creme fraiche.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 209 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 medium pumpkin - peeled and cubed
• 5 cups chicken broth, divided
• 6 dried red chile peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 pounds leeks, chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2

Bake the pumpkin on a baking sheet in the preheated oven until soft, 30 to 40 minutes.

Step 3

Combine 2 cups chicken broth and chile peppers in a saucepan over medium-low heat; simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 4

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in the butter until caramelized, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Step 5

Cook leeks in the same stockpot until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add pumpkin, chicken broth with chile peppers, caramelized onion, remaining 3 cups chicken broth, and cumin. Simmer until flavors combine, about 5 minutes.

Step 6

Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Add bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat; stir in buttermilk. Discard bay leaf before serving.