There are two kinds of pumpkins—those intended for carving jack-o’-lanterns, and those that are usually smaller and rounder, with thick, fleshy skins, which are intended for pumpkin pies. Either kind of pumpkin is suitable for soup, though you may need to drain the jack-o’-lantern’s cooked flesh to concentrate the pulp. In the convection oven, you can roast the pumpkin to make pumpkin puree. See the Note below.
To make roasted pumpkin puree, position the oven racks so that they are evenly spaced. Preheat the oven to convection roast at 350°F. Cover two or three shallow-rimmed baking pans or cookie sheets with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Wash 6 to 9 small pumpkins, each one no more than 6 inches in diameter. Split them and scoop out the seeds. Place them cut side down on the prepared pans. Roasting time will be about 30 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a fork or wooden skewer into the pumpkins. When done, remove the pumpkins from the oven and cool. Scoop the flesh from the skins and puree it in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Measure 2 cups puree and put into a heavy-duty pint-sized zip-top plastic bag, using as many bags as needed. Place the bags in the freezer one on top of the other, stacked flat. Thaw as needed. Frozen pumpkin puree will keep 3 to 4 months.
