I’m sharing a twofer with all of you today! Anytime I make this pumpkin soup (recipe from my mother-in-law), I must pair it with this fig, prosciutto, and cheese mélange panini. ALWAYS together. Always.
When I first started hosting Thanksgiving for Tim’s side of the family, I asked my MIL if I could have the recipe for this soup. I had the perfect sandwich to pair it with, so I served it as the first course for our feast and ever since then, it’s been a staple in our kitchen.
However, I don’t eat pork anymore. As I age, I’ve developed ridiculous allergies and it’s totally cramping my style!
PUMPKIN ORZO SOUP
INGREDIENTS (serves 4 – 6 people, cook time 35 – 45 minutes) – recipe adapted from my MIL
- 3 3/4 cups organic pureed pumpkin
- 4 cups low sodium organic chicken broth
- 2/3 cup whole milk (sub coconut milk, half & half, or heavy cream – depends on your preference and how creamy you want it)
- 2/3 cup orzo pasta
- 1/2 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- pinch of salt for taste
- 1 cube of chicken bouillon if needed
PREPARATION
- In a medium pot, add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add orzo.
- Once orzo is al dente, add pumpkin purée, milk, and spices. Stir constantly until you’ve achieved your desired thickness. If your soup is too thick, add more chicken broth or water to thin it out.
- Season with salt or add some bouillon if needed. I ended up adding a cube to mine because it needed more water.
- Don’t be afraid to add other spices to this if you’d like. These measurements are basically guidelines, but make this soup your own!
I spent two weeks in New York in 2013, and my friend, Erwin, took me on a food tour of the Big Apple! Good thing it was warm and we walked all over the place because I could have easily gained 30 pounds from all the food we ate!
We went to Chelsea Market and did an olive oil tasting. Right across from where we were, I saw this cheese shop that was serving grilled cheese sandwiches. I’ve never had fig preserves in a sandwich before so it piqued my interest. I loved the flavor combination so much! Though the title needs work…
FIG, PROSCIUTTO, GRUYERE & WHITE CHEDDAR MÉLANGE PANINI
INGREDIENTS (serves 4, prep time 10 minutes, cook time 5 minutes per sandwich)
- 8 slices French bread or Ciabatta or whatever kind of bread you like
- Fig preserves
- Gruyere & white cheddar mélange (Trader Joe’s) or whatever cheese you fancy
- Prosciutto
PREPARATION
- Slice cheese and add to one slice of bread.
- Spread fig preserves on the other slice of bread.
- Add 1 slice of prosciutto. Do I even have to tell you to put the two slices together to make a sandwich?
- Using a grill pan or panini press, cook until you get nice grill marks on your bread. Or don’t. It’s really up to you on how long you want to toast up your sandwich. I prefer my cheese to be really melted and the prosciutto to be cooked through.
- If you don’t care for the prosciutto, then don’t add it. You can substitute it with turkey slices or whatever deli meat you want. Just make sure you get some without nitrites, nitrates, or any kind of antibiotics. That’s just gross.
More Than A Craving 