Easy Pumpkin Soup/Sauce

If you’re like me and you like to whip up a good ole pumpkin bread now and then, do you ever wonder what to do with the rest of the canned pumpkin? Sure, you can freeze it, but I find that freezing it changes it’s consistency a bit and the flavor doesn’t seem as strong.

After having nearly a half can left, I decided to make sauce similar to my Butternut Squash Soup. That recipe is just the blending of some roasted vegetables – no cream added. In this recipe, I created a rue, the start of a typical cheese sauce and then added pumpkin along with additional seasonings.

Don’t be taken aback by pumpkin. It makes a fantastic sauce. People mistakenly think it will be sweet. Pumpkin is not sweet! I made THAT mistake as a child, wanting to take a finger-ful out of the can. My mom let me have it and that was the last time that happened! When you think of pumpkin pie you are tasting the sugar and those warm spices. You can leave those out and opt for more traditional spices like onion and garlic.

This is a nice rich soup that can also double as a pizza or pasta sauce.

Recipe: Various Servings

1/2 can or 3/4 cup of Pumpkin

1 Tbsp of Flour

1 Tbsp of Butter

Two Garlic Cloves, Pressed

1 1/2 Cups of Fat Free Half and Half

2/3 Cup of Shredded Gruyere Cheese

1/2 Tsp of Garlic Powder

1 Tsp of Salt

Pepper to Taste

Create a rue by melting butter with garlic. Add flour and whisk. Gradually add milk and continue to whisk so there are no lumps. Bring to boil and reduce heat to low/medium and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes, continuing to whisk, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add cheese, pumpkin and seasonings.

Below: Flatbread chicken sausage pizza with pumpkin sauce, mushrooms, spinach and mozzarella