INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped
- 1 3-pound sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
- 4 cups Chicken Stock
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 ounces thickly-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide strips
- 1 slice Spiced White Bread (see recipe), crust trimmed, bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and leek; sauté until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin and Chicken Broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil until the pumpkin is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Working in batches, transfer the pumpkin mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pot. Whisk in the cream and butter. Season the soup to taste with fleur de sel and pepper.
Do ahead:
The soup can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. Cool. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before serving.
Sauté the bacon in a heavy small sauté pan over medium-low heat until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Add the bread cubes to the pan drippings and sauté until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the croutons to paper towels to drain. Season the croutons to taste with fleur de sel and pepper.
Ladle the soup into 6 wide shallow bowls. Garnish with the bacon and croutons. Serve immediately.
Recipe by Ludo Lefebvre ©2016