This recipe comes from the beautiful cookbook Soup for Syria, created by photographer and food writer Barbara Abdeni Massaad as a way of raising money for Syrian refugee relief efforts. Massaad collected the recipes, including this one from Paola Skaff Alford, and took the striking photographs of the soups and of Syrian refugees. It is published by Interlink Books, (Photograph by Barbara Abdeni Massaad.)
Ingredients
6½ lbs. pumpkin
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of nutmeg
8½ cups vegetable stock
1 cup cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Croutons, to garnish (optional)
To make:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Halve the pumpkin and remove the seeds, scraping the inside clean. Place it upside down in the lined baking sheet. Roast for about 90 minutes, or until tender (check by poking it with a fork). When it’s tender, scoop out the pumpkin flesh and discard the shell. Coarsely chop the flesh and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and leeks. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and butter. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently until caramelized, and add the pumpkin. Add the spices and stock. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat until the pumpkin flesh is soft and breaking down.
Puree the soup using a stick blender, food processor, or blender. Return the pureed soup to a clean pot set over low heat and gently stir in the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot, garnished with croutons, if desired.
“If each one of us decided to commit to one positive action every day, the world would be a better place. War fuels war, love spreads love. My decision to participate in this unique book project is to spread love, compassion, tolerance through mindful action as opposed to mindless reaction. Let’s make soup, not war!” Paola Skaff Alford
