Best Pumpkin Bisque With Wild Rice Recipes

WILD RICE WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS

Steps:

• In a small skillet, grill pumpkin seeds at medium heat for 8 minutes or until they begin to smell. (You can do this step earlier and put in an hermetic container. They will preserve up to 24 hours at room temperature).
• Meanwhile, in a big casserole with boiling salted water, cook rice covered for about 1 hour or until tender and grains begin to open. Drain and set aside.
• In the same casserole, melt the butter at medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes. Add the reserved rice. (you can do the rice, let cool and cover until next day. Add 2 tablespoon of water before to reheat.) Reheat. Add grilled pumpkin seeds and stir.

BAKED PUMPKINS WITH WILD RICE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375° F.
• With a sharp knife, cut a 4- to 6-inch-wide lid off the top of each pumpkin.
• Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers, (use seeds for roasted pumpkin seeds, if desired, or discard).
• Set a square of foil, over the opening cut on top of th pumpkin and set the lid on top of the foil (th foil is to keep the lid from falling back into the pumpkins).
• Place prepared pumpkins in a baking pan filled with about 1/2 inch of water and bake until the insides are tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of your pumpkins.
• Remove from the oven and keep warm.
• While the pumkins are baking prepare the rice.
• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic, and sauté, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in the water, brown wild rice, parsley, salt, pepper, and turmeric, and bring to a simmer.
• Cover and cook over low heat until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork, and stir in the peas, carrots and corn.
• If desired, fold in the Parmesan or soy cheese.
• Set aside until the pumpkins are done.
• When the pumpkins are finished baking, discard the foil; spoon the rice mixture into the pumpkins and cover with the lids and serve.
• When serving, be sure to serve some of the inside of the pumpkin along with the rice stuffing.

MY SPECIAL ROASTED PUMPKIN BISQUE - A FALL TRADITION

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Adjust oven racks to fit whole pumpkin in the oven without the stem coming in contact with the coils.
• Rinse the outside of pumpkin to remove any residual dirt or debris. Dry.
• Carefully cut out the top portion of the pumpkin surrounding the stem so that you are creating a "lid" for the entire pumpkin. Do this on an angle so that the knife is pointed almost straight out from you. You will be creating a lip for the lid of the pumpkin to rest on so that it does not fall straight in while cooking.
• Place lid upside down in a bowl of water so that the stem becomes very wet. While this is soaking for a few minutes, clean out interior of pumpkin, removing any strings and seeds. Rinse seeds and set aside to roast later on if desired.
• With pumpkin cavity cleaned out, place butter, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and thyme inside.
• Place pumpkin on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
• Replace lid on pumpkin and use the olive oil to grease the entire exterior of the pumpkin, lid included.
• Put pumpkin in oven, again making sure that stem isn't touching the coils.
• Bake for one hour. Check for doneness by carefully removing lid and scraping a knife very gently into the interior flesh, but not piercing it through. Texture should be soft and scoopable. If still a bit hard, then cook for an additional 30 minutes or so until soft. The outside of the pumpkin with be a burnt orange and brown.
• Once done, remove pumpkin from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
• Scrape interior flesh very gently, not going too deep, and making sure to get the flesh at the bottom mainly, where the butter and aromatics were.
• Once you have about 4 cups of flesh, including the thyme sprigs and such, then set the whole pumpkin aside for later and place flesh in a big stockpot of dutch oven. Add chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove thyme sprigs, but scrape some of the little leaves into the soup.
• With an immersion blender, puree the soup completely. If very thick like pudding add a little extra water or chicken broth.
• Add all seasonings to the puree, adjusting to suit your individual tastes.
• With a ladle, strain puree through a mesh sieve into a large bowl. The soup should go through somewhat easily with you pushing it through gently with the ladle.
• Rinse out your stockpot and replace the strained soup. Stir in the whipping cream and adjust salt and pepper seasonings.
• Let bisque simmer on stovetop for another 10 minutes at least, for flavors to meld.
• To serve bisque, place pumpkin on a large platter. Place a large bowl inside of pumpkin (if you are able to fit it through the top hole) and pour soup into that bowl, replacing lid and placing on table. Otherwise, if you feel the pumpkin walls and bottom are still solid enough and there are no visible holes in the flesh, then you can try pouring the soup directly into the pumpkin shell itself and serving directly out of the pumpkin. For a decorative touch, line the platter with kale leaves to resemble foliage.
• Serve at the table with the lid in place and ladle sticking out.
• **To roast the reserved pumpkin seeds for a snack: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse pumpkin seeds and remove any strings. Dry seeds lightly with a cloth or paper towel. Spread onto a sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt, cumin and chili powder. Toss well with hands. Bake for 20 minutes or until well toasted and dried out. Remove from oven, sprinkle olive oil across seeds and toss in a bowl. Add more salt or spices according to your preference.

MAPLE PUMPKIN BISQUE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
• Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often for 5 minutes.
• Add pumpkin and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
• Add wine and simmer until reduced by half.
• Add vegetable and chicken broth; cook until reduced by half.
• (At this point, pumpkin should be soft - if not, continue cooking until soft.).
• Puree soup in a food processor or blender.
• Return soup to pot.
• Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Stir in cream and maple syrup.
• Reheat, if necessary, and serve.