Creamy Pumpkin Soup

This simple weeknight meal tasted like fall. On a cold rainy night, we enjoyed this soup with some Trader Joe's grain bread with pumpkin seeds. I am not feeling much motivation for cooking after work lately, so we are enjoying many recipes that are quick and complete with leftovers that reheat well. This recipe comes from Sweet Pea's Kitchen. I omitted the toppings on the original recipe simply because they were not ingredients I had on hand. I'm thinking we may repeat this dinner on Halloween while we wait for trick-or-treaters.

You will need:
*2 tablespoons unsalted butter
*1 medium onion, minced
*2 medium garlic cloves, minced
*1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
*1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (extra on hand if needed)
*2 cups water
*15 oz. can pure pumpkin purée
*1/4 cup maple syrup
*1/2 cup half-and-half
*salt and ground black pepper to taste
Topping suggestions: Bleu cheese crumbles, toasted walnuts, pumpkin seeds

1. Melt the better in a large Dutch oven over medium-heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, and nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
 Stir in the broth, water, pumpkin, and maple syrup; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the flavors have melded.


2. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool slightly before pureeing the soup with an immersion blender, or carefully placing in the blender in two different batches. Stir in the half-and-half and additional broth if necessary.

3. Reheat the soup mixture gently over low heat until hot (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add toppings if desired.