Pumpkin soup with bacon

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 50 g butter
• 1 small onion(s)
• 150g bacon
• 500 g pumpkin flesh, e.g. Hokkaido
• 1 liter chicken broth
• 100 ml cream
• 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• some maple syrup
• some pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Cut the pumpkin flesh into medium pieces and the bacon into fine cubes. Combine the oil and half the butter in a large saucepan and sauté the onions over medium heat. Then add the bacon and cook until it renders its fat. Increase the heat to high and add the pumpkin and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes (20 minutes in a pressure cooker), until the pumpkin is tender. Skim off half the liquid and puree the rest with a blender/hand blender, adding more of the remaining liquid and the cream a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt and pepper, but the soup is usually well-seasoned from the bacon and chicken broth. Place the remaining butter in a pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Divide among 4 soup bowls and ladle the soup over the top. For garnish, toast the pumpkin seeds, scatter them over the top, and drizzle with a little maple syrup. Per serving: Approx. 560 kcal.