After a bright, hot and beautiful summer, lately in Belgium, it has been a bit dark, dreary and rainy! In lieu of this cold weather I thought I would whip up one of my favourite soups! Pumpkin soup is soo good for you, filling and flavourful! It is the perfect pick me up in the middle of a cold fall or winter day!
This soup is pumped full of nutrients to give you lots of energy! It is also super flavourful, hearty and yummy to make you happy! The pumpkin makes this soup taste oh-so creamy with tasty buttery undertones (but you guessed it! There’s no butter actually in it) ! When I began adopting a healthy lifestyle, I relied a lot upon soups because they are not only super filling but also taste great! I often make a big soup at the beginning of the week and enjoy it for lunch or part of my dinner all week long!
The spices used in this soup are not only delicious but they have lots of detoxifying properties as well!
Let’s just say that pumpkin is a staple in my diet all Autumn long and into the winter until the grocery store stops selling it 😉 Speaking of autumn, I know the weather if often unpredictable, rainy and a bit cold but Fall will always be my favourite season. There is something so magical about the colours on the trees changing and getting cozy at home in preparation for the winter months!
- 1 diced medium sized red or yellow onion
- 3 diced garlic cloves (or more if you love garlic...)
- ½ cup water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube (or you can just sub in water for veggie broth)
- 2 heaping cups chopped leeks (about 2-3 leak stalks)
- 1 cup chopped celery (about 2 celery stalks)
- ½ cup chopped carrots (about one big carrot)
- 3 cups pureed pumpkin
- 5 cups water (can also sub in 1 cup of milk of choice instead of last cup of water)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cayenne (or more if you like it spicy!)
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp sage
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- In a large, deep pot saute the garlic and onions in half cup of water, over medium-high heat, until slightly browned (about five minutes). Add vegetable bouillon cube and dissolve it in the pot. Add water when necessary. Watch closely to make sure that a bit of water remains in the pot.
- Prepare the spices in a little bowl and stir them together.
- Add the spices to the soup and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Add 4 cups of water to the pot. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil and add the leeks, carrots and celery. Turn the heat down to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer.
- Cook until the carrots, leeks and celery are softened and cooked through (about 15 minutes).
- Add pureed pumpkin. Add one more cup of water or milk of choice. Leave the contents of the pot to simmer for another 5 minutes
- Take the soup off of the heat. Using a blender, blend the soup until it is smooth and creamy. Make sure that the soup has cooled down a bit so you don't burn yourself
- Substitute one cup of milk of choice for one cup of water if you want an uber creamy soup
- I often add in a couple nuts like pecans, almonds or walnuts into my soup to make it a full meal!
Nutritional Benefits: No cholesterol, high in fiber, high in iron, low in fat,very high in vitamin C, A and B6, high in manganese, magnesium and potassium
What’s your favourite season?