Souper sunday

I love soup! I can trace it back to the ever-present tomato soup that was at our house, brunswick stew and chunky soup over rice. Nothing warms the soul quite like a bowl of soup.

Almost as much as I love soup, I love my soup pot. A royal blue Le Creuset cast iron dutch oven. It's one of my prized possessions.

So I take my soup seriously. And today, I made my inaugural pot of soup for the 2011 fall season. It was wonderful! And definitely a recipe to keep. And to share.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

6 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 - 15 oz. cans of pumpkin puree
1 cup of chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
5 whole peppercorns

Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic and peppercorns and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered. Stirring every 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in small batches using a blender.

Return soup to the pot and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low and let simmer another 10 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and serve.