It’s a super special Halloween edition! Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love all the scary movies, the creepy ghost stories, seeing teeny tiny kids dressed up in costumes. Love it! Instead of candy or a dessert, why not whip up a unique pumpkin soup for your Halloween soirée? This version is grown and sexy. What makes it grown and sexy? This guy…
COGNAC.
It adds so much more flavor than the traditional white wine.
Gather together:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp dried rubbed sage
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1/4 cup of Cognac
- 28oz can of pumpkin puree
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1 ham steak, cubed
- Salt and pepper
Chop the onion and celery.
Add them to the butter, sage and ginger in a large pot.
Cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent, approximately 10 minutes.
Pour in the cognac…
the pumpkin puree…
and the chicken broth.
Make sure that you are using 100% pumpkin, like the picture below, and NOT pumpkin pie mix!
They are usually right next to each other in the grocery store baking aisle. Pumpkin pie mix is already mixed with lots of sugar and spices. That’s not what we want here.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Turn the heat down to medium-high and simmer for 15 minutes, giving the flavors a chance to meld.
Cube the ham.
Add the ham to the rest of the soup and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until ham is warmed through and the vegetables are fully cooked.
Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve in a warm bowl.
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp dried rubbed sage
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- ¼ cup of Cognac
- 28oz can of pumpkin puree
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1 ham steak, cubed
- Salt and pepper
- Chop the onion and celery.
- Add them to the butter, sage and ginger in a large pot and cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent, approximately 10 minutes.
- Pour in the cognac, the pumpkin puree, and the chicken broth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Turn the heat down to medium-high and simmer for 15 minutes, giving the flavors a chance to meld.
- Cube the ham.
- Add the ham to the rest of the soup and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until ham is warmed through and the vegetables are fully cooked.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve in a warm bowl.
I just made butternut squash soup last night, and it was very similar to your pumpkin version, but mine was definitely not grown and sexy! I never thought of adding booze to it. I really like the idea and will have to try it next time! Great photos, by the way.
Andrea, if YOU made it, it’s grown and sexy! Ha ha ha! 😀