Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon peeled and diced fresh ginger
• 1 /4 cup diced carrots
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 /2 cup diced onion
• 1 1 /2 cups can puree either fresh or canned
• 3 1 /2 cups of vegetable stock
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 /4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 /8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder
• 1 /2 cup of heavy cream
• 1/4 cup raw hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Directions

In a medium saucepan heat butter over medium-high heat, add ginger, carrot, celery, and onion and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add pumpkin and stir well.

Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.

Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and cayenne powder reduce heat and simmer uncovered until vegetables are soft about 20 minutes.

Let cool and transfer to a blender and puree mixture until smooth.

Strain the soup back into the saucepan and add the cream.

Keep warm.

In a medium nonstick skillet, place the pepitas and toast over medium high heat stirring, until the seeds turn fragrant, light brown and begin to pop… about three minutes.

Set aside.

Serve warm soup with a ladle into serving bowls and garnish with the toasted pepitas sprinkled over-the-top.