Are you ready for the best time of year? I know I am. I love crisp fall mornings, and the colors changing on the trees. But most of all, I love it because it means, it’s the start of BAKING SEASON! Oh, and not to mention it means pumpkin, and I’m not talking about those espresso drinks. I’m talking about soup, cake, cookies, and bread!
Since I know there are some serious pumpkin lovers out there, I thought I’d share two original Mondo pumpkin recipes with you: Mondo Pumpkin Soup and Mondo’s Savory Pumpkin Bread. Even if you don’t like those pumpkin espresso drinks, if you like real pumpkin, I promise you will looove these. Both of these recipes use canned pumpkin purée, rather than the canned pumpkin pie filling. This ensures the integrity of the pumpkin flavor. Enjoy whipping up one or both of these this weekend!
Mondo Pumpkin Soup
This is my husband’s recipe, and I beg him to make it during all times of the year, because it’s just that GOOD. Also, its an amazingly hearty pureed soup that has lots of vitamins. If you like to be a rebel (like me) some good toppings for this soup are: Tabasco Sauce, and shredded sharp cheddar. However, it is fantastically spicy and warm on its own.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced sweet white onion 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon Salt for seasoning 1 teaspoon curry powder
32 ounce container of low-sodium Chicken Broth
Two cans of puréed pumpkin (29 ounces each)
1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 pint half and half
Time: 1/2 hour to assemble & prep – 2ish hours to cook on stove
Servings: About 7-10
Directions:
In a large stock pot sauté the onion, salt, with the butter until translucent over medium heat. Add the curry powder and two tablespoons of the chicken broth to the pot, let simmer on low heat while you prepare the pumpkin base.
For the base, pour 1 1/2 cans of puréed pumpkin (about 43 ounces of pumpkin purée) into a blender with 1 3/4 cups chicken broth. Add in the dried parsley, allspice, and the cooked onion from the stock pot to the mixture. Blend until the consistency of the soup is smooth.
Carefully pour the thick mixture into the stock pot. Since the mixture is so thick, much of it will remain in the blender. To get the last bits of the soup out of the blender, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup chicken broth to the blender, blend, and pour the remaining soup out into the stock pot.
Simmer the soup on medium heat, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure even heating for about an hour or until heated through. The first two times you check on the soup add in 1/4 cup of half and half each time. The soup will be thick, and may be garnished with fresh parsley or any toppings you like!
Mondo’s Savory Pumpkin Bread
You must be thinking, “Why, savory and pumpkin?” Since I love sweet dinner rolls, but I also love savory breads that include spices like rosemary, I wanted a fall bread that was versatile, but also a winner on its own. Hence, this recipe was born. It’s a very simple recipe that will go great with any family gathering or dinner party, and it’s easy to make!
Ingredients:
1 packet of yeast dissolved into 1/2 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour (+more for kneading) 1/3 cup sugar
1 beaten egg 2 Tablespoons oil (for bowl)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée 1/2 Tablespoon dried rosemary
1/4 Tablespoon dried oregano
Time: 30 minutes to assemble – 2 hours for rising – 30 minutes baking = 3 hours total
Servings: About 10
Directions:
Prepare yeast mixture in small bowl. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients with a whisk. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the yeast mixture, egg, and purée into the well. Fold these in until combined.
Pour dough out onto flowered surface and kneed for about five minutes, or until dough is smooth. Use the oil to coat the large bowl before placing the dough back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or tea towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size. (About one hour.)
Punch down dough, lightly kneed and shape into a round loaf. Place the loaf onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Using a knife score a big X over the top of the dough. Place a tea towel over the dough, and let it rest 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until the bread sounds hallow when gently tapped. Once it is finished baking, let it cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes before serving. Best served with some butter, and your favorite jam!
There you have it! Two original pumpkin recipes that embody fall, to kick off the season. If you do try any of these simple recipes, let me know how it went in the comments section, or if you really like them, please share with your friends!
Until next time, keep on cooking!
-HM
themondo.life 
These both sound great! Love pumpkins!
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Thanks!
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