We love the fine line between sweet and savory that an ingredient like pumpkin conveys. In our pumpkin soup, we created  a balance of sweet and spicy with the addition of curry and cayenne but added  honey and milk  for a rich, creamy soup. The sour cream added right at the end gave the soup a luxuriously velvety finish while the fried onions added a chewy and flavorful mouthful.

This soup is perfect for a cold snow day, like today!

Makes 1 quart of soup

Ingredients

3 tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, ½ chopped, ½ sliced for garnish

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. coriander powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

¼ cup honey

2 cup  vegetable stock

1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree or 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

½  cup whole milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream for garnish

Method

In a small frying pan over medium heat, add 1 tbs. olive oil. When hot, add the sliced onions and fry until crispy. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until softened. Add in the spices and the honey. Cook for another minute.  Add stock and pumpkin puree, mixing thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer soup for 10 minutes. Add the milk and continue to cook for 5 minutes more.

Into a small bowl, ladle soup and add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fried onions.