Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

 * ½ lb. pumpkin
 * 1 pint water or stock
 * 2 ozs. shrimp, if liked
 * 1 pint milk
 * 2 ozs. flour
 * 2 ozs. margarine
 * eschallot
 * celery
 * thyme
 * salt
 * white pepper
 * salt and pepper to taste

Directions

 * 1) Cut pumpkin into pieces.
 * 2) Clean shrimp.
 * 3) Put eschallot, celery and thyme tied together, into water or stock and bring to the boil. Add pumpkin, salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and leave to simmer.
 * 4) Make white sauce using margarine, flour and milk. Add salt and pepper.
 * 5) Remove stock from heat. Remove eschallot etc., and pass all other ingredients through a sieve.
 * 6) Add stock to white sauce. Correct the flavor and consistency, adding more milk if too thick.
 * 7) Serve hot with croutons.