CREAMY KALE AND PUMPKIN SOUP

3 slices bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped, (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth homemade or canned
2 medium new potatoes (about 3/4 pound) peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 pound curly kale, stems and ribs removed, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 cup half-and-half

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat until brown and crispy. Remove bacon from pot and drain on paper towels until cool enough to handle. Crumble and set aside. Pour all but about 1 teaspoon of fat from the pan.

Heat olive oil in the same pan and add onion. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and start to caramelize. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

Pour 2 cups of broth into pan and stir to loosen browned bits on bottom of pan. Add potatoes, kale and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and kale is wilted.

With a hand blender, puree the potato mixture. There will be flecks of green from the kale. (You can pour the soup into the container of a stand blender, but be careful, as the hot soup may splatter during blending. Return soup to the pot.)

Stir the remaining broth, the pumpkin, nutmeg and pepper into the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in the half-and-half and heat through, but do not boil.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Pumpkin: A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year, by DeeDee Stovel