Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

This is a very simple Pumpkin Soup recipe. I found this recipe on the Food Network website. It is a recipe by Rachael Ray. I totally understand why it had a five star rating and over 270 reviews. It is soooo good. I made a couple slight modifications and clarified some of the steps but, nothing too major, it was really great as written. The only suggestion I would add is to make more relish. It really makes the soup! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish
Serves 4 entree size soups or 8 appetizer size bowls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 bay leaf
2 ribs celery finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons hot sauce
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Relish:

1 crisp apple, such as McIntosh or Red Delicious, finally chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Heat a soup pot or dutch oven over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter.
2. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning or thyme and hot sauce, then cook flour a minute. 
3.  Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a light boil.
4. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a little. Add in cream and nutmeg. 
5. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve. 
6. While soup cooks, assemble the relish: combine apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon. 
7. Serve soup in with a few spoonfuls of relish.