Pumpkin and Mussel Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) pumpkin, seeds discarded, cut into into cubes
• Vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

First cook your pumpkin. In a bowl gently toss together the pumpkin cubes and a little vegetable oil. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large stock pot, add the onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and mussels, cover and steam for 4 minutes or so until the mussels just begin to open. Using a slotted spoon, remove only the mussels and allow them to cool. Then add the stock to the soup pot along with the roasted pumpkin. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the mussels from their shells and reserve all the juices. Using a hand held blender or transfer mixture to blender and then return to the stock pot, and puree the soup base. Now add the cream, chives, mussels, and their juices to the puree. Season to with salt and pepper and ladle into soup bowls.