Cider Roasted Pumpkin Soup

I decided to steer away from using canned pumpkin when making this pumpkin soup because of the simplicity of the soup. Not that canned pumpkin puree doesn't have it's place, but it's fall and pumpkins are everywhere, so why not use a fresh one! You can roast the pumpkin, like I did here, or steam it. Both will result in a beautiful soup. Don't forget to toast the seeds! They make a healthy snack or garnish for the soup itself.

Cider Roasted Pumpkin Soup
(Printable Recipe)
1/2 cup apple cider
1 small pumpkin
6 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow or sweet onion, chopped
1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 cup half and half
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Split the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and toast for a snack or garnish. Arrange the pumpkins, cut side up. Top with the sage leaves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the pumpkin is tender, about an hour. (Cooking time will vary with size of the pumpkin.) Saute onions in the olive oil. Deglaze the pan with the apple cider. Scoop the pumpkin with the sage leaves and add to the soup. Cover with the stock, bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or normal blender) and return to the pan. Stir in the half and half, adding more if the soup is too thick for your liking. Season with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of nutmeg.  Serves 4.