Blood Red Soup: pumpkin and beets!

If you'll permit me to do so, I'd like to begin with a recipe that has the highest return-on-investment I've ever experienced. Pumpkin Beet Soup. The velvety consistency and the sweet/salty taste are wonderful, but there is something oh so decadent about watching the deep color as you stir the bowl!

As is often the case, thanks goes to Karen for the idea!

Ingredients:

*1-2 medium sized roasted beets

 - this is easy to do, but even easier to buy... Shall post soon!

*Pumpkin or Butternut Squash or Potimarron, about 2 large soup bowls worth after being peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-2 inch chunks. 

...This would be 3/4 of a medium pumpkin, all of a potimarron or butternut squash

*salt and water

1. As mentioned above, peel, de-seed and chop pumpkin/squash/potimarron into 1-2 inch chunks, being as regular as is practical.

2. Cover with water in a large casserole, salt, and set to bubbling until the flesh is easily pierced by a fork, or spoon, and definitely knife. 

2. Remove but KEEP some of the water to be added in slowly as you find the right pumpkin-beet-water ratio for your soup.

3. Starting with one beet, roughly chop make it easier to blend and throw into the pumpkin-water casserole.

4. Salt generously (but of course, not too much).

5. Blend the heck out of said soup until really simply velvety. Add more beet and water to taste.

6. As most soups, it is even better the next day.

I plan to serve this as a part of our Halloween dinner celebration along with severed finger rolls... you're all invited!