Soup in a Pumpkin

c d k it ch en. co m

6 pounds pumpkin
2 1/2 cups bread crumbs, fresh dried
2 cups onions, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup cheese, mozzarella or swiss, grated
2 quarts chicken stock
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage (or more)
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Crush bread crumbs. Saute onions in butter until soft but not
browned. Stir crumbs into the hot onion mixture and cook slowly
for 3 minutes. Cut a top off pumpkin, scoop out seeds, rub inside
with soft butter.

Turn the crumb mix into the pumpkin. Stir in grated mozzarella or
Swiss cheese and fill to within 2 inches of top with hot chicken
stock (about 2 qt). Season with salt, pepper and sage.

Bake on a pizza pan in preheated 400 degrees F oven for about
1 1/2 hours or until pumpkin flesh can be flaked off with large
cooking fork. Do not overcook as pumpkin will collapse. Keep
warm until ready to serve.

Just before serving, gently stir in hot cream or half and half, and
a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Check seasoning, season to
taste. Ladle soup into hot bowls, scraping off some of the
pumpkin flesh as you do. Get some of the flesh into each bowl as
you serve.