Creamy pumpkin and chickpea soup with homemade croutons

To prepare the creamy pumpkin and chickpea soup with homemade croutons, start by cutting the pumpkin into wedges. Remove the peel and seeds, then dice it. You'll need about 18 oz (510 g) of flesh.

Peel and thinly slice the shallot.

In a pot, pour the oil, add the shallot, and sauté over low heat until translucent, being careful not to burn it.

Add the diced pumpkin, a pinch of salt, and pepper to taste. Let it sauté for a couple of minutes. 

Pour in about 1 1/2 cups of warm vegetable broth. Cover the pot with a lid and let the pumpkin cook for 10-15 minutes over medium heat.

Meanwhile, prepare the homemade croutons: peel the garlic and rub it lightly on the bread slices. Then, cut the bread into cubes. 

In a large non-stick pan, pour 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add chopped rosemary needles. Heat the oil well, then add the bread cubes and sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, turning frequently, until they have absorbed the oil and turned slightly golden. Set them aside.

When the pumpkin is tender, add about half of the boiled chickpeas to the pot. If the soup is already very dense, add a little more warm vegetable broth. Continue cooking for 4 or 5 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup with an immersion blender until you get a smooth and homogeneous mixture. If it's too thick to blend, you can further dilute it with some vegetable broth.

Once you have a smooth pumpkin and chickpea cream, put the pot back on the heat, add the remaining chickpeas, and season with a few rosemary needles. Adjust the salt, if needed, and cook the pumpkin cream for another couple of minutes, stirring often, until you reach the desired thickness. Complete the dish with garlic and rosemary croutons.

Serve the creamy pumpkin and chickpea soup with homemade croutons immediately.