Fenneled Pumpkin Soup {Local Thanksgiving}

I really wanted to call this a pumpkin 'bisque'; that sounds more sexy than pumpkin 'soup'. But then I did some reading and realized that you can't categorize something as a bisque unless it has fish stock as its base. So...this is fenneled pumpkin soup made with pumpkin puree from the bounty of Borchard Farms pumpkins I had gotten for a pumpkin baby shower last month. I roasted and pureed all of the leftovers, stocking my freezer for things such as this.

Ingredients

• 1 C diced bacon
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
• 1 T minced garlic
• 6 C pumpkin puree
• 10 C organic chicken stock
• 1/2 C orange juice
• 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 t smoked paprika
• 1 t fennel seeds
• freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
• persimmons, peeled and julienned for garnish

Procedure
In a souppot, cook the bacon pieces until they begin to brown but are not crispy. Add the fennel and garlic and cook until the fennel begins to caramelize. Add the pumpkin, chicken stock, fennel seeds and orange juice. Simmer until the soup begins to thicken. Stir in lemon juice, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with julienned persimmons.