Anticiplate

I am definitely into “Fall” ingredients and flavors right now. You can tell by my last couple of posts (pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash). This soup is excellent and has a nice balance of sweet, savory, spicy, and creamy. I found this recipe in the latest edition of the Rachael Ray Magazine. As usual, I changed some of the recipe.

Serves 4 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced (I used some shallot and some onion)

2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 chipotle chile in adobo, plus of the remaining sauce, found in the      international foods aisle (you can use half a chipotle for less spiciness)

1 bottle mexican beer, either Negra Modelo, Corona, or Dos Equis

1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin puree 

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cayenne

Kosher salt and ground pepper

2 -3 c. chicken broth (depending on how thick you want your soup)

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

1 green apple, chopped

1/2 small red onion, chopped

1 jalepeno chile, seeded and finely minced

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juiced

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. jellied cranberry sauce

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and chipotles and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beer and reduce for 3 minutes. 

Add the cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne to the beer.  Whisk in the pumpkin until smoothed.  Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken broth and black beans and simmer for 10 minutes. 

In a small bowl, combine apple, red onion, jalepeno, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt.  In another bowl, combine sour cream and cranberry sauce.  

Top soup with a dollop of cranberry sour cream and a generous portion of green apple salsa.