Alton Brown's Whole Pumpkin Pie Soup

Hi. Can we talk for a sec about this pumpkin goodness? And how my boyfriend is the best cook ever? I don't even like pumpkin (or at least, didn't think I did) and this was amazeballs. 

Recipe via Alton Brown

Ingredients 

• 1 whole baking pumpkin, approximately 4 pounds, rinsed (We got ours at the Tower Grove Farmers Market)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1 small apple, peeled, cored, and diced 
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 2 ounces goat cheese 
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 

Directions 

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
• Make a lid on the top of the pumpkin by cutting around the stem at a 45 degree angle. Make sure the opening is large enough to work within. Remove the seeds and fibers with a metal spoon or ice cream scoop and kitchen shears. Reserve the seeds for another use (We toast them with some salt and they taste like popcorn!). Brush the exterior of the pumpkin and the lid with vegetable oil. 
• Oil a round casserole dish large enough to hold the pumpkin and place the pumpkin inside. 
• Combine the butter, onion, salt, garlic, apples, chicken broth, and heavy cream in the hollow pumpkin. Replace the lid of the pumpkin to cover. 
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours. 
• Remove the lid. Add the goat cheese and thyme and bake an additional 30 minutes, uncovered.
• Remove the pumpkin from the oven. You can gently scrape some of the flesh into the soup mixture and puree with an immersion blender to desired consistency, or just scrape the sides as you eat it (that's what I did).