I love this time of year because it means canned pumpkin is available on supermarket shelves. The first time I saw it recently at my local grocery store, I bought nine cans! My children think I have a pumpkin problem, but I am just storing up so that I can make all my favorite recipes, including this Creamy Pumpkin Soup.

This recipe is delicious, aromatic, and pretty to look at. And it's good for you, too. Pumpkin packs potassium to help keep your brain, muscles, and heart in working order, and beta-carotene, a pigment that lends pumpkin it's bright orange hue, and doubles as a potent phytonutrient to protect your cells from harm.

Even better, Creamy Pumpkin Soup is ready in minutes and is sure to take the chill out of autumn evenings. It's a great addition to any holiday meal, too!

Enjoy! 

Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Makes 5 cups

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans pureed pumpkin
2 cups Hood® Fat Free Half & Half

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the ginger, curry powder, cumin, nutmeg, salt, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.  (For a smoother soup, puree the ingredients at this point, add them back to the pan, and continue preparing the recipe.) Add the chicken broth and pumpkin to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Stir in the Half & Half until just heated through (do not boil).