Peter's Cream Of Pumpkin Soup

1 ts Safflower oil

1 lb Pumpkin, fresh

-cut in chunks, -=OR=- Canned Pumpkin 1 Yellow onion

- peeled and chopped 1 sm Garlic clove

- peeled and crushed 2 Celery stalks; chopped

1 Stalk fresh thyme; -=OR=-

1/2 ts -Dried thyme

1/2 Bay leaf

5 c Chicken broth

1 1/2 tb Low-fat white cheese

-Such as cottage cheese, - farmer's cheese, - cream cheese or ricotta 1 tb Non-fat powdered milk

1/2 c Parsley, chervil and chives

- (minced) This Thanksgiving soup has but 65 calories per serving. IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN, heat the oil over a low fire. Add the vegetables (including the fresh pumpkin, but not the canned), thyme and bay leaf. Reduce the heat, cover, and let cook gently for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the vegetables from browning. Add the broth and the pumpkin, if using canned; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for either 20 minutes (fresh pumpkin) or 10 minutes (canned pumpkin). Puree mixture in batches in a blender. Pour pureed soup through a fine strainer back into saucepan and return to boil. If it seems too thick, thin with a little hot broth or water. (Can be made to this point up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, loosely covered.) Before serving, reheat soup to boiling. Pour back into the blender and add the cottage cheese and powdered milk. Blend 20 seconds. Taste for seasoning. Ladle the soup into 4 heated soup bowls; sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the minced fine herbs over each. Serve immediately.