Creamy Pumpkin Soup

"This is a favorite dish from La Esperanza, one of Havana's most stylish
paladares."

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 medium)
2 tsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 lbs. calabaza, pie pumpkin, or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and
diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup light cream or half-and-half (optional)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)
4 to 6 Cuban Bread Croutons (recipe below)
1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the
onion, garlic, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook slowly until the onion is
translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the calabaza and broth. Bring to a boil
over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the
calabaza is very tender, about 40 minutes.

In a blender or food processor with a steel knife blade, working in two or
three batches, puree the calabaza mixture until smooth. Return the puree
to the saucepan and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper and
heat the soup gently, stirring often, until hot. Ladle the soup into 4 to
6 individual soup bowls, top each serving with a crouton, and sprinkle
with parsley.


Serves 4 to 6.

Cuban Bread Croutons


Olive oil for frying
4 to 6 slices day-old Cuban or French bread

In a heavy skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of the oil. When the oil is hot
enough that a small cube of bread sizzles when dropped in the oil, add 2
or 3 of the bread slices at a time and fry, turning once, until golden
brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the croutons with a slotted spatula and
drain well on paper towels.

Sandy U.

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