Thow-It-Together Pumpkin Soup

I have been unnaturally obsessed with pumpkin this fall and was really craving a meal featuring the fine squash. I looked in the pantry and saw 2 cans of pumpkin puree. I walked to the fridge, another half can, "Pumpkin soup!" I said aloud. For the first time in like EVER, I didn't feel like looking up a recipe and just decided to completely wing it. 

The soup turned out surprisingly yummy, especially when served with a nice buttered hunk of crusty bread! It seems to me, however, that it would make a much better appetizer rather than a meal. A nice small bowl would be perfect before lunch or dinner. A huge bowl of it kind of gets hard to eat towards the end- not because it doesn't taste great- my taste buds just tend to get sick of the pumpkin-y flavor after so many bites.

Throw-It-Together Pumpkin Soup

All amounts are approximations as I literally just tossed whatever I had into the pot.

ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cans (15 ounce) of pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 large carrot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp half-and-half (all I had, haha)
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• walnut oil, to garnish
• toasted walnuts, chopped to garnish

1. In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the onions, carrot, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the carrots begin to soften.
2. Add the chicken broth and vegetable stock to the pot and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a large ladle, add the soup to a blender (or simply use an immersion blender if you have one!) and puree. Return the soup back to the pot.
3. Add the pumpkin to the soup and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer. When thoroughly heated through, stir in the sherry vinegar, milk, and half-and-half.
4. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with walnut oil; sprinkle with toasted walnut pieces and serve!