Martha shulman's pumpkin and white bean soup

1 batch

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 pounds Navy or Great Northern beans
2 quarts ;Water
1 Onion stuck with
2 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
teaspoon Salt; or to taste
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 mediums Leeks; white part only
Additional sage leaves washed well and minced
1 pounds Pumpkin or winter squash peeled and chopped
2 Garlic cloves peeled and minced
Salt and pepper; to taste
6 To 10 fresh sage leaves slivered if large

Directions

GARNISH

Soak beans overnight in plenty of water to cover.

Drain beans and combine in a pot with the 2 quarts water, onion and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add 2 tsp. salt; continue to simmer.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, until leeks soften, about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin and garlic and sprinkle with ¼ tsp. salt. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pumpkin begins to soften.

Ladle in some stock from the beans. Stir together and transfer the pumpkin mixture to the bean pot. Cover and simmer 30 to 50 minutes, until the beans are thoroughly tender, even mushy. Taste; adjust salt and add pepper.

Remove the bay leaf and cloves from the onion. Return the onion to the soup. Put the soup through the fine or medium blade of a food mill and return to the heat. Stir in the slivered sage and heat through gently, stirring. Serve, garnishing each bowl with additional fresh sage.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Fritschner writes: "In Provence, French cooks puree pumpkin with white beans to make soup. In fact, pumpkin and squash purees make delicious 'cream' soups; their natural creaminess eliminates the need for cream and its calories. You can make [this] bean soup or try cooking just the squash with chicken broth and onions and seasoning it with jalapeno peppers. No cinnamon in sight, but it's incomparably delicious."

From Food Editor Sarah Fritschner's 10/19/94"Pumpkins: Beyond Pie" article in "The (Louisville, KY) Courier-Journal." Pg. C4. Posted by Cathy Harned.

Submitted By CATHY HARNED On 10-19-94

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