Pumpkin Soup

This is a recipe I copied after seeing online. I keep thinking I'll try it one October or November, but i haven't mustered the courage. It's supposed to be great, pumpkin in soup just seems strange to me. Maybe if you try it and let me know how it tastes, I'll give it a shot.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbl butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 ribs celery with greens, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• Slat and pepper
• 3 tbl all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning or 2 tsp ground thyme
• 6 C water/6 boullion cubes (or 6 C chicken stock)
• 1 28 oz can cooked pumpkin puree
• 2 C milk (or heavy cream if you want it heavier)
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium hight heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour and poultry seasoning and cook flour a minute. whisk in 2 C chicken stock and then puree the mixture in a blender. Put back in pot, add the remaining 4 C of stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit, then add in milk and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.