Chipotle Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 1 medium onion yellow chopped
• 3  garlic cloves chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1  chipotle peppers canned chopped for mild, 2 for spicy ( in adobo, 1 )
• 8 cups pumpkin pureed canned cooked chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock see thick for vegetarian or vegan option, can sub water for some of the stock (use vegetable stock )
• 1 teaspoon oregano or dried
• 2 teaspoons salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons juice of lime 
• 5 servings pumpkin seeds shelled toasted (pepitas)
• 5 servings cilantro leaves 
• 5 servings cream thinned sour with a little water so that it's runny

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• pot
• blender
• wooden spoon

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot (8-quart) on medium high heat.
2. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
3. Add the garlic, cumin, and chipotle, cook for 1 minute more.
4. Add pumpkin, stock, oregano, salt, then simmer:
5. Add the pumpkin, chicken stock, oregano, and salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, partially covered.
6. Toast pumpkin seeds: If you are working with raw pumpkin seeds, now would be a good time to toast them. (If your pumpkin seeds are already toasted, skip this step.) Just spread them out in an even layer in a frying pan on medium high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon while toasting, until the pumpkin seeds are fragrant and are lightly browned.
7. Remove to a bowl.
8. Purée soup:
9. Remove the soup from heat. Working in batches of 2 cups each, purée the soup in batches, holding down the lid the your blender tightly while puréeing, and starting on a slow speed. Return the puréed soup to the pot.
10. Add lime juice. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more salt, cumin, oregano, or chipotle to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more stock or water to desired consistency.
11. Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), crema fresca drizzled over the top, and chopped cilantro.