So often on the day after Hallowe’en our pumpkins get tossed, trashed and put to the curb for waste pick up or compost. Don’t we see this as food?
One of the ‘ultra’ lessons I grew up with, was to never waste food and to be thankful to have so much on our plate (pardon the pun!).
Good food shouldn't be wasted: Turn your Hallowe'en pumpkin into a soup.
As long as your Jack-o-lantern is freshly carved, taken care of and washed, I don’t see any point in dropping it in the compost bin. Good food shouldn’t be wasted!
I usually light the pumpkin with a small tea light to ensure none of it burns on the inside. You can cut away most of the front face but the backside is usually all pretty good for cooking.
And who can’t live without the comfort of a delicious soup during the fall months?
For this recipe, I used a pressure cooker to cook my pumpkin and apples, which make them really soft for pureeing.
The pressure cooker, if used correctly is one of my mother's favourite kitchen tools - and now mine too! 
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Curried Pumpkin Apple Soup
Ingredients:
2 cups pumpkin, cubed
1 apple, peeled cored and cubed
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 cups water
2 tsp. Arvinda’s Curry Masala
1 tsp. sea salt
Garnishes:
Hazelnut oil
-or- Truffle oil, if you’re feeling really special
Arvinda’s Garam Masala
Whipped yogurt
Pumpkin seeds
Garlic chives
Method: In a pressure cooker or pot, add pumpkin, apple, onion, water and salt. Boil until soft and mushy. {Pressure cooker takes 5-7 minutes; boiling should be 15-20 minutes}.
Enter pumpkin, apple, onion, salt and water. Boil until soft and mushy.
Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender. Bring to a boil; add Arvinda’s Curry Masala and simmer.
Serve in soup bowls. Add a garnish of your choice or a sprinkle of all of the above for lots of layers of flavour and added texture. Serves 2-4.
Curried Pumpkin Apple Soup -- fully loaded with all the garnishes!
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Does anyone else cook with their Hallowe’en pumpkins?
Preparing a soup does take a bit of work, but we know nothing tastes better than something homemade.
If you’re in a bind though, and craving the taste of home try one of Hall’s Kitchen’s hearty soups–a line of all-natural, organic and locally-sourced ingredients made by Chef Katherine Hall. Recently I tried Hall’s Kitchen soups at the Toronto Soupalicious event and the Bangkok Curry, Coconut & Lime was delicious!
Happy Hallowe’en weekend!
A teaspoon of: Florence + The Machine. Listening to: Dog Days Are Over.
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