This Fall, we are diving in hard. On a scale of 1 to ordering a Pumpkin Spice Latte in Ugg boots, we are going full on basic white girl crazy this season.
We decided to take a heart-warming soup with creamy, sweet pumpkin, and really light our asses on fire. Literally. By adding a few chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, we kicked this up a notch and then IMMEDIATELY dialed it the f*>% back down when we realized we got a little too overzealous with the peppers.
After another trial, we found a happy level of heat that didn’t have us sweating and chugging milk, and then yogurt when that was gone. So learn from our missteps and tread lightly with the chiptole peppers. If when all is said and done it is still too hot, use a bit of sugar to cut the heat some, or more milk, although you’ll have a slightly thinner soup if you choose the latter.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread sugar pumpkin on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast until tender and easily mashable with a fork, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat 1″ of canola or peanut oil. When the oil temperature reaches 300 degrees, carefully add 1/2 cup of the shallots and fry until golden and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and place on paper towel lined plate to dry. Set aside. When the pumpkin is finished cooking, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup shallots and cook until slightly translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add pumpkin, chipotle peppers and spices. Sauté, stirring, for 2 additional minutes. Add beer to deglaze the pan, scraping down the sides and bottom. Stir in maple syrup and chicken stock. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Next, remove from heat and add milk. Blend using an immersion blender or in a blender in small batches until smooth and creamy. Be careful, this shit is like lava and can come spewing out of the top of the blender with NO notice. Spoon into individual bowls and top with a tablespoon or so of fried shallots. Serve hot.
serves 6-8