Sultry Pumpkin Soup - Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill

Sultry Pumpkin Soup – Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill

Pumpkin, Ancho Chile, Pear
Tortilla Strips, Pumpkin Seeds, Chile de Arbol Flakes, Candied Orange Zest
Cinnamon Crema, Chile Oil

The ancho chile’s complex raisin-like taste complements the pumpkin. Black pepper and cinnamon coax out its deeper flavors. Homemade smoky chile-de-arbol flakes and fiery chile oil add some heat to the relatively mild ancho. Ripe pear and maple syrup bring natural sweetness while orange adds a certain brightness. Tortilla strips add crunch and pumpkin seeds bring an earthy nuttiness. It’s all rounded out by spiced Mexican crema. One just might have a burning desire to try this sultry pumpkin soup with its bold Southwest flavors and adventurous garnishes.

Sultry Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Pumpkin & Ancho Soup

2 T. butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 ancho chiles, de-seeded, torn into small pieces
1 ripe pear, diced
2 cans pumpkin puree
1 qt. water
1/2 t. cinnamon, ground
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
3 bay leaves
1 c. orange juice
salt to taste
maple syrup to taste

In a soup pot, cook onion in butter until golden. Add ancho chiles and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pear, cook another 2 minutes. Add pumpkin, water, cinnamon and pepper. Stir to combine. Add bay leaves. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and allow soup to cool somewhat. Blend to a smooth consistency in a blender in two batches, adding a half cup of orange juice to each batch. Add some water if the soup is too thick. As always, take care when blending hot liquids. Season with salt and maple syrup to taste. Return the soup to a clean pot.

Garnish:

tortilla strips
pumpkin seeds, roasted and salted
chile de arbol flakes
candied orange zest
cinnamon crema
chile oil

Slice fresh corn tortillas into thin strips. Fry in canola oil until crisp and golden. Transfer to paper towel. Season with salt.

Break the chiles de arbol in half and shake out the seeds. Fry in a small amount of canola oil until the chiles turn color. Remove the chiles to a paper towel. Chop the chiles into flakes. Reserve the oil to season the soup. Add a pinch of smoked paprika to give it a deeper red color.

Boil thin strips of orange zest in simple syrup for 10 minutes. Remove to paper towel.

Mix Mexican crema with a dash of ground cinnamon. Place in a squeeze bottle in order to make crema dots.

Composition:

Reheat the soup. Ladle into warm bowls. Place dots of cinnamon crema around the perimeter. Stack tortilla strips in the middle of the soup. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and chile de arbol flakes. Use a skewer or any pointy tool to spread the crema in a pattern. Add drops of chile oil. Use a tweezers to top with candied orange zest (it’s sticky).

Credits:

Ancho Chiles from my friends at Marx Foods.

The idea to make Pumpkin Soup with Ancho Chile from Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill.

The idea to flavor Mexican Crema with Cinnamon from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill.

Food Network

featuring

Pumpkin

#FallFest is a season long franchise where Food Network editors team up with bloggers to share recipes about everyone’s favorite autumn dishes. You might enjoy taking a peek at other PUMPKIN recipes from some fabulous bloggers below… and be sure to follow our very popular Pinterest Board with over 325,000 followers called Let’s Pull Up A Chair!

The Hungry Traveler: Pumpkin Brown Butter Madeleines
Bacon and Souffle: Pumpkin Lasagna with Sausage, Kale and Parmesan
Homemade Delish: Warm Pumpkin Salad
The Lemon Bowl: 20 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
Weelicious: Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
Virtually Homemade: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
TasteBook: Creamy Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Dishin & Dishes: Homemade Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte Concentrate
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes
Red or Green: Spiced Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Bars
The Heritage Cook: Roasted Pumpkin, Potato, and Sage (Gluten-Free)
Swing Eats: Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Pumpkin Seed Brittle
Taste with the Eyes: Sultry Pumpkin Soup – Southwest Flavors, Dressed To Kill
FN Dish: 8 Ways to Eat Pumpkin All Day Long