[i didn't bother with an ingredients list, so i just bolded the ingredients so you could find them and go buy them]

buy a small bright orange pumpkin. the big paler ones are all well and good for jack-o-lanterns, but they don't make the best soup. cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and gunky middle part with a melon baller or something. place the pumpkin, flat sides down, on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at about 350 for about 20 minutes or so.

in the meantime. get a large stockpot and put it on the burner (empty) to warm at a low heat. add about a half-teaspoon of curry powder (note, there's no such spice as curry powder, it's really a blend of at least five or six spices - you'll want to make sure yours has cumin, mustard seed and turmeric, though whatever else is in there is fine too. of course, you could just add spices individually, but that's kind of a pain. and you don't want to buy spices in huge quantities if you can avoid it, because they don't keep - try to find a place where you can buy loose spices, and only buy an ounce or two at a time - everything will taste better) and a small pinch of cayenne (if it's not in your curry powder). shake the pot to distribute the spices and let them toast in the dry pot for a few minutes. when you start to smell them, that means the spices are releasing their essential oils, which gives you a wonderful flavor. at that point, pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

while you're toasting the spices, cut up a small red onion, a clove of garlic and a small, tart granny smith apple. when the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and apple to saute for a few minutes.

while that cooks, take the pumpkin out of the oven. the outside should be fairly hard, and the inside soft enough to scoop out easily with a spoon. if they feel ready, flip the pumpkin halves so the flat side is up and let them cool for a few minutes. at this point, the onions, garlic and apples will have softened. pour in a cup or so of vegetable broth (you'll want about 4-6 cups total) and let them simmer.

when the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, begin scooping the flesh out with a spoon, and dump it right into the soup pot. as you fill the pot, you'll need to keep stirring and adding more vegetable broth so everything stays fairly wet. after you've scooped out all the pumpkin, and covered everything with broth, add some salt and pepper. you can also add some ground ginger and nutmeg at this point, just a pinch of each. cover the pot and let everything cook on a low to medium heat for about twenty minutes or so.

after that, remove it from heat and puree it - this is easiest if you have a hand blender, which you can get for about 20 bucks and is, in fact, the only blender i own. at this point, you could mix in some cream or soy milk if you like your soups a bit creamier or richer - don't add too much, or you'll cover the flavors. maybe a tablespoon or so. puree that a bit further and return the soup to the stove for three or four minutes.

serve it hot. you might sprinkle some grated gruyere cheese on top, and/or a few toasted pumpkin seeds. enjoy.