Whoever thought of putting peanut butter in a pumpkin soup? But it works marvelously.

Brewing up a pot of pumpkin soup was high on my fall cookery wish-list. But just as I was about to gather the ingredients, in breezed a new pumpkin soup recipe from a most unexpected source.

The monthly newsletter or the organization from which Hubby and I draw our retirement pensions is a delightful read; we always look forward to receiving it for its tips on money-management and grandparenting, its jokes, and its recipes.

This month's newsletter featured Peanut Butter Pumpkin Soup. Besides peanut butter and pumpkin it also called for the addition of sweet potato. What a marvelous combination--some of my favorite ingredients! To get the sweet potato addition I merely popped one extra-large sweet potato in the microwave; when the cooked potato was cool, I scooped out the innards and mashed them to achieve my pureed pumpkin ingredient.

The aroma of this wonderful dish as it bubbled on the stovetop was one of those unforgettable autumn smells that inspires poets to rapturous verse. The delicious, easy-to-make dish was divine with warm crusty bread, cheese, and fruit. And ever-resourceful Hubby even reclaimed the scooped-out sweet potato skins and used them in one of his creative smoothies that consisted of orange juice, orange sections, pineapple juice, peanuts, and sweet-potato skins. Fiber City--think about it!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Soup

1/2 stick butter

4 cups fresh pumpkin, cooked and run through the food processor to make smooth. Consistency in this soup is important.

2 cups pureed cooked sweet potato

1 cup smooth peanut butter

6 cups low-salt chicken stock

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

snipped fresh chives and low-fat sour cream for garnish

In a large pot over medium heat melt butter. Add pumpkin, sweet potato, and peanut butter. Mix. Add chicken stock, pepper, and salt. Stir until smooth. Reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 20 minutes. This soup can burn easily, so keep an eye on it! Serve warm with chives and sour cream for garnish.