Chorizo-Spiced Soup

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pound acorn squash, halved with seeds scooped out 
• 2 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 shallot, minced 
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree 
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile pepper 
• Salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander 
• Teeny pinch of ground cloves
• 3 cups water or vegetable broth 
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 2 teaspoons peptias 
• 3 tablespoons creme fraiche 

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Place the the squash, flesh side down onto the baking sheet and transfer to the oven to roast for about 30 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and set aside. 
2. 2
   In a medium saucepan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the, garlic, squash, pumping and spices: 1 teaspoon salt, dried oregano, cumin, coriander, pinch of cloves. And then cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spices are fragrant. Pour in the water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the squash is completely softened. Using a immersion blender, pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds. If you don’t own one, no biggie, transfer the soup, in batches to a blender. Allow a bit of air to escape with the lid, and puree until smooth. Adjust the salt, I added about an additional 1 teaspoon and it really brought out the spices. 
3. 3
   In a small skillet, add pepetias, oil and spices. Toss until combined and toasted. Drizzle a bit of creme fraiche on top of soup. Top with pepitas. Serve with a side of bread.