‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread (recipe to come), pumpkin smoothies (recipe to come) and, my personal favorite, pumpkin soup! As iconic a fall staple as apple-picking and Halloween, pumpkins and pumpkin products are abundant this time of year. The orange gourds are packed with beta carotene which your body converts into vitamin A–essential for good eye sight and a healthy heart–as well as disease fighting vitamin K and powerful antioxidants. Pumpkin can definitely be deemed a superfood.
The recipe I’ve created for you today uses canned organic pumpkin. Chances are some of you out there may experience a certain skepticism for anything that comes out of a can. Before you throw the fresh-food-is-better book at this one consider this: according to Greatist, one cup of the canned stuff has 7g of fiber and 3g of protein—that’s more than two times the fiber and 50% more protein than pulling it fresh from the pumpkin patch. Topping this semi-sweet soup with a sprinkle of raw pumpkin seeds will add a powerful dose of essential minerals including zinc, potassium and magnesium.
I’ll have more pumpkin-perfect recipes later this month, so stock up on your canned pumpkin and spices now!
What You’ll Need:
- 1 tbs coconut oil
- 1 sweet onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 2 – 15oz cans organic pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!)
- 1 tbs maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4-1/2 tsp smoked chipotle chile flakes
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
- 2 tbs tahini
- 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
How to Make It:
- In a large pot or casserole dish, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic (both coarsely chopped) and sauté until translucent (about 5-7 min). Add spices and cook another minute.
- Add 3 cups of vegetable stock and bring mixture up to a simmer.
- Add two cans of pumpkin purée and maple syrup, stirring to combine.
- Remove mixture from heat and pour it into a blender. Blend until thoroughly combined.
- Add blended soup back to your pot and mix in one cup of coconut milk. Taste for seasoning and adjust according to taste. (Note: if you want to thin this out, add another cup of vegetable stock at this point).
- Bring mix back to a simmer and serve immediately, or remove it from the heat, let cool, and store in your fridge for up to a week (or 1-2 months in your freezer).
- Serve with a spoonful of the optional coconut milk/tahini blend (whisk together the tahini and coconut milk until smooth) and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds for a little more flavor and texture.