Usually, pumpkin means pie, a limited role for a large vegetable that is nearly ubiquitous from Labor Day through Christmas. But soup based on pumpkin—or other winter squash like acorn or butternut—is a minimalist’s dream, a luxuriously creamy dish that requires little more than a stove and a blender. If there is a challenge here, it lies in peeling the squash. The big mistake many people make is to attack it with a standard vegetable peeler; the usual result is an unpeeled pumpkin and a broken peeler. A quicker and more reliable method is to cut the squash up into wedges; then rest each section on a cutting board and use a sharp, heavy knife to cut away the peel. You’ll wind up taking part of the flesh with it, but given the large size and small cost of winter squash, this is hardly a concern.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 pounds peeled pumpkin or other winter squash

　　4 to 5 cups chicken or other stock

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Place the pumpkin or squash in a saucepan with stock to cover and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers. Cook until the pumpkin or squash is very tender, about 30 minutes. If time allows, cool.

　　

Step 2

Put the mixture, in batches if necessary, in the container of a blender and puree until smooth. (The recipe can be prepared a day or two in advance up to this point; cool, put in a covered container, and refrigerate.) Reheat, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

　　

Variations

Step 3

Pumpkin, stock, and black pepper are all you need to make a good pumpkin soup. But when you have more time and ingredients, try one of the following:

　　

Step 4

Add 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon finely minced peeled fresh ginger) or 1 teaspoon curry powder (and, if you have it, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric) to the simmering soup.

　　

Step 5

Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and a small grating of nutmeg to the simmering soup.

　　

Step 6

Garnish each bowl of soup with 3 or 4 grilled, sautéed, or roasted shrimp; or about 1/4 cup crabmeat or lobster meat per serving.

　　

Step 7

Garnish the soup with chopped fresh chervil, chives, parsley, or dill.

　　

Step 8

Stir 2 tablespoons to 1 cup crème fraîche, sweet cream, sour cream, or yogurt into the pureed soup as you are reheating it.

　　

Step 9

Stir about 1 cup cooked long-grain rice into the pureed soup as you are reheating it.

　　

Step 10

Pumpkin and Apple Soup: This screams autumn: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger to the soup. Peel, core, and thinly slice 2 apples; cook them in 2 tablespoons butter until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Garnish the soup with the apple slices.

　　

Step 11

Creamy and Chunky Pumpkin Soup: Measure about 1 cup pumpkin or squash (you will almost always have extra), cut into 1/4-inch dice, steam until tender, and stir into the soup about 2 minutes before removing from the heat.

　　

Step 12

Pumpkin and Mushroom Soup: Sauté about 1 cup sliced mushrooms—chanterelles are best, but shiitakes (stems discarded) or button mushrooms are good—in 2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil until they give up their liquid and begin to get crisp. Garnish the soup with them.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.