Pumpkin Soup tonight!
Here's what I put together, in case anyone wants a pumpkin recipe:
1 tablespoon butter (could use olive oil or broth)
about 1/2 cup each or more of the following chopped veggies:
white onion
red and yellow sweet peppers
zucchini
green beans
about 1/2 cup or more frozen peas (thawed)
1 large stalk of celery, sliced thin
about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of canned pumpkin (NOT seasoned for pie filling)
about 1/2 cup rice (I used instant, but any kind would do, as long as you cook it long enough)
I 1/4 lb frozen turkey patty, thawed and partially cooked in microwave (or freshly-ground turkey, partially cooked)
about 1 quart of water
about 1 heaping teaspoon of Penzey's Chicken Soup Base
about 1 1/2 tablespoons (or to taste)Penzey's Northwoods Fire
about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's Four Peppercorn Blend
about 1/8 teaspoon Penzey's Kosher Flake Salt
about 1/8-1/4 teaspoon Penzey's # Roasted Garlic (regular garlic would work fine)
I thawed the peas and beans (because I cheated and used frozen green beans) in the microwave while I stir-fried the onions, peppers, and zucchini in butter in a 6-quart pan.
I then added the peas and beans to simmer in butter while I heated the water in the microwave and dissolved the soup base in it. I added the seasonings to the veggies in the pan while I cooked the turkey patty and broke it into chunks.
I then mixed the turkey and broth into the pan with the veggies and butter and let this cook on medium for about 15 minutes.
At that point, I added the rice and stirred in the pumpkin. I found I needed more water, so I added a little at a time.
Once it was boiling, I turned it to medium-low and let it simmer about 30 minutes to blend all the flavors. It got a bit too thick, so I added a little more water again and let it heat a bit before serving.
This could easily be made as a vegetarian dish by using olive oil instead of butter, omitting the turkey, and using Penzey's Vegetable Soup Base instead of the chicken soup base.
I suppose you could make it with spices that didn't come from Penzey's, but why would you? ;)
Penzeys.com (or they have a store in Draper, for my Utah friends)