I made this soup for the first time in 2006 for Thanksgiving. It was a hit! This recipe uses canned pumpkin, which is usually not pumpkin, but various types of squash! (Did you know that?) According to this article on Southern Living’s site, “It all gets confusing because the terms squash and pumpkin aren't very well differentiated by the USDA. Just look at how they define canned pumpkin: ‘The canned product prepared from clean, sound,properly matured, golden-fleshed, firm-shelled, sweet varieties of either pumpkins or squashes by washing, stemming, cutting, steaming, and reducing to a pulp’ That leaves a lot of room for some companies to use a variety of squash and still legally call the product 100 percent canned pumpkin.” Anyway, it’s good!
In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sauté until the onions are soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 2 more minutes.
Put the pumpkin, the sautéed onion, and a bit of stock in a blender or food processor. Add the pepper, a bit of salt, and the nutmeg. Blend until smooth. Wipe out the stock pot and return the mixture to the pot.
Turn the heat to medium-high and add the rest of the stock and the sherry. Bring the soup to a soft boil, then turn it down and allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the milk and the grated parmesan and stir.