September Pumpkin Soup

1 small clump fresh sage
2 Tbsp real bacon bits
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small sugar pumpkin
2 med-large red potatoes
3 large roma tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt

3 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp maple syrup
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Pumpkin Seeds
Kosher salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 F

Heat a dutch oven over med-high heat. Once hot, add 2 Tbsp olive oil, sage, and bacon bits. Fry sage and bacon until sage starts to shrink and is crispy. Turn off heat, remove sage and bacon and set aside.

Chop vegetables into roughly 1 1/2 inch square pieces, reserving pumpkin seeds. Add to dutch oven with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp kosher salt. Stir and roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash pumpkin seeds and mix with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Spread in single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

Remove dutch oven from oven and place back on med-high heat. Lower oven temperature to 325 F. Roast prepared pumpkin seeds in oven for 20 minutes, checking after 10 minutes and stirring or removing from oven if needed.

While seeds are roasting, add chicken broth to roasted vegetables and stir. Add maple syrup and black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add sage, then use immersion blender to puree soup (or puree in batches in a blender).

Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve.

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user DITRIBAL.