Creamy Pumpkin Soup

• 8 cups vegetable stock or water, divided
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (7-pound) pumpkin, peeled and diced, about 5 cups (look for Sugar Pumpkin), or 3 cups canned pumpkin puree
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cipollini onions or shallots, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms, such as cremini or button
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 medium head savoy cabbage, very thinly sliced
• Parmesan cheese or shredded chicken for serving
• Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

1. Place 1 cup vegetable stock and porcini mushrooms in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and set aside. 2. Lightly coat a large sauté pan with olive oil. Add diced pumpkin, and brown on all sides. If all of the pumpkin doesn’t fit in one layer, brown it in batches. Season each batch with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer pumpkin to a stockpot (if using canned pumpkin puree, add to stockpot at this point). 3. Add onions to the same sauté pan, and cook, adding more olive oil if necessary, until they are completely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer onions to the stockpot. Brown mushrooms in the sauté pan until browned and lightly crispy. Transfer the mushrooms to the stockpot. 4. Add remaining 7 cups stock, porcini mushrooms, soaking liquid, and nutmeg to the stock pot. Cover and cook over low heat until the pumpkin is very soft. Puree pumpkin in batches in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender, adding more liquid if necessary. 5. Add cabbage, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Garnish with olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if serving dairy, shredded chicken if serving meat, and toasted pumpkin seeds.