Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 large sugar pumpkin + 4 small sugar pumpkins, for serving bowls, reserved (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 small shallots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Cut one large pumpkin in half and remove seeds.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place face side down onto a baking sheet.
4. Reserve four sugar pumpkins aside for pumpkin bowls.
5. Roast pumpkin for 40 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
6. While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare the spinach cilantro pesto.
7. Once the pumpkin is cooled, scoop out pumpkin flesh into a food processor or blender, purée until smooth.
8. In a large pot over medium heat, add butter, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until tender. Stir in thyme. Add pumpkin purée, chicken broth, almond milk, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, maple syrup, and red pepper flakes.
9. Bring soup to a slow boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
10. While soup is simmering, cut in half and clean 4 small sugar pumpkins. On one baking sheet, toss the cleaned pumpkin seeds in olive oil and salt. Roast 30-40 minutes.
11. On a second baking sheet, place the cleaned pumpkin bowls face side down. Slightly roast in the oven until al dente. Do not roast until tender or the bowls will collapse.
12. ?To assemble, ladle the soup into roasted pumpkin bowls. Garnish with a dollop of spinach cilantro pesto, heavy whipping cream, and roasted green pumpkin seeds.