Pumpkin and Potato Soup

1 pumpkin 5 - 8 lbs
2 baking potatoes
2 sweet potatoes
1 med onion, diced
8 -10 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
Vegetable or chicken stock
butter
salt and pepper

Wash pumpkin well with soapy water, rinse and dry. Split pumpkin in half. Scoop out the fiber and seeds. Rub the halves with olive oil inside and out. Place flesh side down on a greased baking sheet (or silpat). Bake at 375 degrees until the meat is fork tender and orangey-yellow.

Preparing to roast the pumpkin.

At the same time, individually wrap the baking potatoes and sweet potatoes in foil. Place in the oven on an upper rack to bake until soft. The pumpkin and potatoes should be done about the same time.

Roasted pumpkin set to cool.

When cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh of the potatoes and pumpkin into a large clean bowl. Add a couple tbsp of butter and let melt into the mixture.

In a skillet brown the bacon rendering the fat. Remove the bacon to drain. Pour away all but about 2 tsp of the remaining fat. Return to heat and add the onion. Cook until clear.

Add the onions to the potatoes and pumpkin. Using a stick blender or food processor, puree the mix.

This is my 6qt stainless mixing bowl. I used a 8 - 10lb pumpkin, 2 each of the potatoes, and almost 2 quarts of stock to make this much soup.

Pour the puree into a stock pot. Slowly add the stock until the mix is the consistancy of soup that you prefer. We like a thicker soup. You might like a thinner soup. Heat through and allow to simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This soup is a beautiful color. Some recipes will call for heavy cream to be added. To me it isn't as nice of a soup when it has cream in it. I save the cream for my pies.

When serving use the bacon crumbles on top as garnish.

For freezing allow soup to cool. Pour into freezer containers. Lable and freeze.

**Note: I prepared this today when I was cooking a pork roast. I had plenty of broth from the pork so I used it in place of chicken/vegetable stock. It tastes great.

I am serving this soup with sandwiches made of fresh toasted bagels with a slice of roasted apple, cheddar cheese and ham. Absolutely delightful.