Pumpkin Soup in Mini Pumpkin Vessels

Wash the pumpkin, cut off the ends and remove innards. Slice in half lengthwise. Lightly drizzle pumpkin with olive oil and kosher salt. Set pumpkin on a baking sheet (with foil for easy clean-up), face side down. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pumpkin in oven and let it bake for 20-35 minutes depending on the size.

While pumpkin is baking Clean, peel and dice your carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Then, in a heavy stockpot, drizzle olive oil on the bottom of the pot just to coat it. Turn the heat to medium. Place the diced vegetables in the pot and allow them to sweat (not brown), adjusting the heat so that the veggies literally look like theyre sweating, releasing liquid and becoming tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can add a pinch of thyme, too.

When they are ready, leave the veggies in the pot and turn off the stove.

Back to the oven Remove the pumpkin and allow to cool. Scoop out the insides, the flesh only, leaving the hard outer skin and add the flesh to your pot with the carrots, celery, onions, garlic.

Place the pot back on the stove, set to medium and add the stock until all the vegetables are submerged in liquid. You may use additional stock if the consistency of the soup is too thick when its finished. Let the stock and vegetables simmer on the stove for approximaely 15-20 minutes, again add salt and pepper to taste.

Take your soup off of the heat and blend ingredients together. You can use a hand mixer or blender. Blend ingredients until the soup has a smooth, creamy consistency. To serve, drizzle olive oil around the inside of each pumpkin serving bowl then add soup. Add a dollop of yogurt to each serving and cilantro garnish. Use your zester/grater to grate nutmeg into the soup.

Serve and enjoy!