Halloween Pumpkin Soup with Grilled Cheese

4 standard portions

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion (finely diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
• 2 ½ cups vegetable stock (preferably warm)
• ¼ cup heavy cream (divided)
• 8 slices sandwich bread
• 4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (such as Colby & Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar and mozzarella, or gruyere or a mix of melting cheeses)

Method

1. Melt butter in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add all of the spices and salt, stir, then add pumpkin puree and stir again.
3. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring the soup to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, remove from heat (if desired, puree into a smooth consistency using an immersion blender), and ladle into bowls.
5. Using the remaining heavy cream, create the spider web patterns by drizzle it on the soup in circles, then with a toothpick, drag the heavy cream lines from the center to the edges of the soup.
6. To make grilled cheese, use Halloween-themed cookie cutters to cut out the centers of four pieces of bread. Then, butter one side of each slice of bread.
7. Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. And add the slices of bread with the cutouts - buttered side down, and cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes). Remove from the pan.
8. To the same pan, add the remaining slices of bread (without the cutouts), buttered side down. Top with cheese, and cover each with a slice of bread with the cutout (golden brown side up). Cover with a lid (or use a grill press) to allow the cheese to melt.
9. Cook the sandwiches for 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve with soup.