Do You Know?

Pumpkins are 90% water.

There are more than 45 different varieties of pumpkin.

Every single part of a pumpkin is edible.

Pumpkins are fruits and not vegetables.

As a food, pumpkin can be baked, roasted, steamed or boiled.

Pumpkins and pumpkin soups are a powerhouse of vitamins A, B6, B12 and C which are needed for boosting overall health. It also has calcium important for bone health. It also has iron content.

Many people think of pumpkins as little more than a Halloween decoration or a pie filling, or something to make a face at when asked to eat.  However, it may be time to rethink this plump, nutritious orange vegetable from the squash family.

They are a powerhouse of all kinds of vitamins, minerals, proteins and various nutrients that promote weight loss, better gut health and a good boost of micro-nutrients.

Health benefits of eating pumpkin soup

Pumpkin soup is not only a wonderful option for anyone fighting indigestion and stomach infections, but also for those on a weight loss program.

This soup is soothing, gentle and easy to digest with soluble fibers that help keep you full. It is low in calories, high in energy and can also help balance your electrolytes after a hard day.

1. Improves eyesight

Pumpkin soup is a powerhouse of Vitamin A which helps improve your vision and provides you with protection for your eyes. The antioxidants in pumpkin could help prevent degenerative damage to the eyes.

2. Aids Weight loss

A small amount of pumpkin soup with light cheese is only 70-80 calories for a one-cup serving. It is extremely rich in fiber as well.

This is a soup that fills you up even with a small serving, helps you to digest and can help you to shed weight because you will be eating fewer calories each day.

3. Lowers risk of diseases

Pumpkins can play a big role in preventing cancer and other serious diseases. Pumpkins have also been shown to fight off certain types of cancers. This means you can not only prevent disease with pumpkin soup but fight off diseases as well.

4. Boosts energy

Even though this soup is low in calories, it is high in energy. A single cup of pumpkin added to your soup contains more potassium than a full banana.

This means your body can balance its electrolytes, recover from a hard work out and have a large amount of energy to get you through the day.

5. Improves bone health

The light cheese / non-dairy milk you add to the soup will help to improve your bone health with its high calcium nutrients. Depending on the variety of dairy alternative that you use it is also possible to enjoy this topping with very low calories.

Soups are a delicious, healthy way to satisfy your hunger with minimal fat and calories. And healthy pumpkin soup recipes made from either fresh or canned pumpkin are a great example.

My Dairy-free Pumpkin Soup is rich and creamy from substituting coconut milk for the more traditional dairy cream.  This recipe would look lovely on your dinner table, and leftovers would go great with sandwiches or salads the next day.

Recipe yields 4 bowls or 6 cups of soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• One 4-pound sugar pie pumpkin

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 4 large or 6 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced

• ½ teaspoon of sea salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• ⅛ teaspoon cloves

• A tiny dash of cayenne pepper (optional, if you like spice)

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth

• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey or stevia

• ¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Carefully halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds.

2. Slice each pumpkin halve in half to make quarters. Brush or rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over the flesh of the pumpkin and place the quarters, cut sides down, onto the baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes or longer, until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.

3. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add onion, garlic and salt to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, peel the pumpkin skin off the pumpkins and discard the skin.

4. Add the pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper (if using), and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Use your stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit. Pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, to give the flavours time to meld

5. While the soup is cooking, toast the pepitas in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, golden and making little popping noises. You want them to be nice and toasty, but not burnt. Transfer pepitas to a bowl to cool.

6. Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly. You can use a blender to blend this soup in the pot. Also, protect your hand from steam escaping from the top of the blender as you purée the mixture until smooth. Transfer the puréed soup to a serving bowl.

7. Taste and adjust if necessary (you might want to add more coconut milk for extra creaminess/milder flavour, or maple syrup to make it a little sweeter).

8. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle pepitas over the soup and serve.

Storage Tip :

Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day!). Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.

ARE YOU READY TO SLIM DOWN WITH PUMPKIN SOUP?