Pumpkin Chipotle Soup

This is a fantastic soup!! It takes real pumpkin (or you can use butternut squash according to the recipe) though so I make it after I make "Dinner in a Pumpkin" to use up the remaining pumpkin. Sorry this has taken me a while to publish (more of an autumn recipe)!

1 t. cumin
1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 1/2 c. diced onion

2 t. minced, seeded serrano or jalepeno pepper

5 c. chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth

5 c. diced (1/2") fresh pumpkin such as Sugar Pie or Cinderella, or butternut squash

1/2 t. chipotle pepper puree
1/4 c. chopped scallion

Salt

Queso fresco or feta cheese, for garnish

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

1. Combine oil and butter in skillet and cook over medium heat until butter melts. Add onion and cook until golden brown, 10 - 12 minutes. Add chili pepper and ground cumin and cook, stirring, 1 minute; set aside.

2. Bring stock to a boil in large saucepan or soup pot. Add onion mixture and pumpkin or squash, cover, and cook until pumpkin or squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes (or if you are making this recipe after "Dinner in a Pumpkin" the pumpkin is already cooked and just needs to be heated up). Stir in chipotle puree, scallion, and 2 teaspoons salt. Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish each with heaping tablespoon queso fresco or feta cheese and chipotle leaves.

I'm not really sure what chipotle puree is exactly so I just added some "pepper blend" spice from Aldi which was super yummy. Enjoy!