Soup in a Pumpkin

Coupled with Dinner in a Pumpkin, this is a fantastic fall meal. The soup is very hearty, though, so beware. --Mark

Ingredients:

6 lb pumpkin

2 1/2 cups bread crumbs

2 cups onions, chopped

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or Swiss)

2 quarts chicken stock

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp sage

1 cup cream or 1 cup half and half

parsley, chopped

Instructions:

Crush bread crumbs. Saute onion in butter until soft but not browned. Stir crumbs into the hot onion mixture and cook slowly for 3 minutes. Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Rub the inside with butter.

Turn the crumb mix into the pumpkin. Stir in grated cheese and fill to within 2 inches of the top with hot chicken stock. Season with salt, pepper, and sage.

Bake on a pan in preheated 400 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until the pumpkin flesh can be flaked off with a large cooking fork. Do not overcook as pumpkin will collapse.

Just before serving, gently stir in hot cream or half and half, and a handful of chopped parsley. Ladle into bowls, scraping off some of the pumpkin flesh as you do.