chicken, pumpkin, and white bean soup with spinach cream

I really was going to make my Black Bean chili today, but lo and behold, by late morning it was 60 degrees, so I scratched that idea and moved on to a lighter chicken , white bean, and pumpkin soup with a lovely garlicky spinach and ricotta cream inspired by a dip in the December Martha Stewart Living magazine. So lovely!

To make:

2 chicken legs, thighs, or chicken breast poached in light chicken stock and shredded or cut

light chicken stock - about 4 cups

1 1/2 cups peeled pumpkin, cut into chunks

1/2 onion, sliced thinly

2 rosemary springs, about 3" each

2 cups white cannelini or Great Northern beans, cooked

(if using canned, drain well before adding)

Green Tabasco

salt and pepper

Poach the chicken in the stock. When chicken is tender, remove from stock and cut or shred.

Add the onion, pumpkin, onion, and rosemary to the stock and cook on low until pumpkin is tender.

Add the beans and chicken and heat til just simmering.

Add the salt and pepper to taste, and the hot sauce.

Top with a good spoonful of the spinach cream and swirl in before eating.

Spinach cream:

In food processor blend:

3 chopped scallions, both green and white parts

2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut up

2 cups rinsed, destemmed baby or regular spinach

1 1/2 cups cooked white beans

1 cup part skim ricotta

1 T. fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper and Tabasco to taste

Whiz all in food processor and place a nice dollop to the side of the soup.

If you prefer, use as a warm or room temperature dip. (Martha bakes her dip for 1/2 hour)

I sincerely hope these pictures are in focus. My eye doctor thinks I may need eye surgery in my left eye. And all this time I thought it was my dirty reading glasses!

Enjoy this beautiful day ~