Spicy Pumpkin Lemongrass Soup

A hearty fall classic, with a spicy thai twist!

1 T Unsalted Butter
1 Clove Garlic
1 Leek
1 Stalk Lemongrass
1 Small Pumpkin
1 1/2 Cups Yellow Corn (kernels)
5 cups Water
2 T Brown Sugar
Salt
Pepper (White and Red)

Cut pumpkin half. Clean out pumpkin seeds (set aside and roast them, too!) Spray all inner surfaces with non-fat cooking spray. Roast in oven on 425 for about 20-30 minutes, until pumpkin is just soft enough to easily scoop out from skin.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large soup pot over medium heat. Mince Garlic, chop leeks, and add to pot. Cut end of lemongrass stalk, leaving lower 6-8" (real 6-8"... not AOL inches). Smash stalk with side of large knife. Place in soup pot.

Cook until leeks are softened, ~10 minutes.

Add corn kernels, pumpkin pulp, and water. Raise heat to bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until pumpkin starts to dissolve into the soup mix. Remove lemongrass stalk from soup.

Remove from heat. Transfer in batches to a blender (or, blend with immersion blender) until soup is smooth and creamy. Mix in brown sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. For a spicy soup, use plenty of red AND white pepper. For a lighter soup, use just a dash of white pepper.

Optionally, serve with a dash of parmesan cheese on top, and/or fresh herbs. Rosemary and Sage both go nicely.

Nutritional Info (Note, this info excludes sodium from any salt added):

Amount Per Serving
Calories		93.3
Total Fat		1.8 g
	Saturated Fat	1.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	0.5 g
Cholesterol		3.9 mg
Sodium		368.2 mg
Potassium		475.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate		20.9 g
	Dietary Fiber	2.7 g
	Sugars	7.8 g
Protein		2.3 g

Vitamin A	159.2 %
Vitamin B-12	0.0 %
Vitamin B-6	7.4 %
Vitamin C	17.9 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	0.6 %
Calcium	3.5 %
Copper	8.9 %
Folate	8.3 %
Iron	7.7 %
Magnesium	6.9 %
Manganese	12.5 %
Niacin	6.0 %
Pantothenic Acid	4.2 %
Phosphorus	7.8 %
Riboflavin	8.8 %
Selenium	1.1 %
Thiamin	5.7 %
Zinc	3.9 %