All of the best flavors of an American Thanksgiving are featured in this fall soup. The benefit of using vegetable stock is twofold: most important to me is taste—vegetable stock, as opposed to rich chicken stock, melds seamlessly with the pumpkin, thinning its body without competing with the flavor. It also means that this soup is a perfect option for vegetarian guests. Trust me; everyone at the table with be happy with this tasty offering.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 8

　　2 (15-ounce) cans pumpkin puree, not flavored pie filling (about 3 1/2 cups)

　　3 to 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock, homemade (page 241 or 240) or store-bought, as needed

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon ground Mexican cinnamon (canela) or additional ground cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

　　3 tablespoons honey

　　1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

　　1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Cranberry-Maple Crème Fraîche (recipe follows)

　　1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted (see page 250)

　　1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

　　

Cranberry-Maple Crème Fraîche

2 cups cranberry juice

　　2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

　　1/4 teaspoon maple extract

　　1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

　　Kosher salt

　　(makes about 1 1/4 cups)

　　

Step 1

Put the pumpkin puree in a large saucepan, whisk in 3 cups of the stock, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cinnamon, Mexican cinnamon, allspice, cloves, honey, and maple syrup. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Whisk in up to 1 1/2 cups more stock if the soup is too thick. Remove from the heat and whisk in the crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

　　

Step 3

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a large dollop of the cranberry-maple crème fraîche and some of the pumpkin seeds and chives.

　　

Cranberry-Maple Crème Fraîche

Step 4

Bring the cranberry juice to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the maple syrup and maple extract, and let cool to room temperature.

　　

Step 5

Put the crème fraîche into a small bowl, add the cranberry mixture, and stir to combine. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day to allow the flavors to meld.

　　Reprinted with permission from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson, (C) 2011 Clarkson PotterBOBBY FLAY, a New York Times bestselling author, is the chef-owner of six fine dining restaurants, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, and Bobby Flay Steak, and an expanding roster of Bobby's Burger Palaces. He is the host of numerous popular cooking shows on Food Network, from the Emmy-winning Boy Meets Grill and Grill It! with Bobby Flay, to the Iron Chef America series, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, and Food Network Star. Brunch @ Bobby's debuted on the Cooking Channel in fall 2010 and America's Next Great Restaurant debuted in March 2011 on NBC. This is his eleventh book. His website is BobbyFlay.com.