Creamy pumpkin soup
A pumpkin soup (or cream) is considered a typical winter dish, but we eat this one all year round! Pumpkin soup is real comfort food for me.
I always make a large pot and freeze several portions for later. Isn’t it nice just to be able to take out a portion of yummy and healthy pumpkin soup whenever you feel like it? This delicious and “warming” soup gives you a nice portion of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
I used turmeric to spice up this dish and to create even more health benefits. The active ingredient in the turmeric root (curcuma longa) is curcumin. What does it do for your health? It helps detoxify the liver and it has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Curcumin has recently been widely researched in various scientific studies and the results are very promising! Turmeric can have beneficial effects in various forms of cancer. But also with Alzheimer’s, MS, rheumatic complaints and psoriasis, positive results are seen when turmeric is used.
IMPORTANT: To “activate” the curcumin you have to use it in combination with black pepper and some healthy fats (such as coconut oil or olive oil)
20 min
2
Ingredients
- 500 g pumpkin, peeled and cut into small pieces (in some countries you can find these pre-cut in the supermarket – very handy if you have little time)
- 350 gr sweet potato, peeled and cut in small cubes (gives extra thickness and creaminess)
- 1 large onion (can be red onion or spring onion) in small pieces
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- coconut oil (the normal one with taste of coconut)
- 1 stock cube (without flavor enhancer – E620 to E625)
- +/- 700 ml of water
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric – preferably Bio.
- 1 teaspoon of curry (try out different kinds of curry) or ras el hanout
- salt and black pepper
- finishing touch: coriander, pumpkin seeds and a dash of coconut milk
Preparation
- Heat the coconut oil in a large cooking pot over medium heat. Let the onion and garlic fry for a few minutes and then add the pumpkin and sweet potato.
- Season with turmeric, curry or Ras el hanout, salt and pepper and let it simmer for 8/10 minutes with the lid on the pot.
- Add the water and stock cube and cook for 10/15 minutes until the sweet potato and pumpkin are tender.
- Mix everything well until it’s creamy. Add the chopped coriander.
- In the meantime, roast the pumpkin seeds in a pan until they “pop”.
- Serve the cream with a handful of pumpkin seeds.
- You can also add some coconut milk to your own taste or just because it is a nice contrast to the orange of the soup and possibly a few drops of olive oil and some black pepper (see health benefits – activation of cur curcumin in the turmeric)