roasted pumpkin soup

How fun is this? Eating this pumpkin soup out of a pumpkin is a clever idea (and it saves doing dishes). You scoop out pumpkin with each spoonful of creamy vegetable soup.You can also try a kabocha squash.

serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery
1 large ripe tomato, seeded, chopped
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 sugar pumpkins
grated parmesan and chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

1. Heat oven to 375º
2. In a pot over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add onion, garlic, celery, tomato, and herbs. Saute 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tsp. of the salt, 1/2 tsp. of the pepper, and chicken stock. Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat, stir in cream and set aside. (if you prefer a creamy vs. chunky soup then puree).
3. To prepare pumpkins, cut off tops and reserve and scoop out seeds. Season insides with remaining salt and pepper. Ladle soup into pumpkins discarding herb sprigs. Place tops on pumpkins.
4. Roast on a foil lined cookie sheet for 1-1.5 hours or until pumpkins are tender when pierced with a knife.
5. Serve soup out of pumpkins or ladle into bowls and divide pumpkin flesh. Garnish with parmesan and parsley.