Pumpkin soup... I know it sounds crazy, but it's truly the most delicious and savory fall dish you'll eat all season! As a bonus, it's packed with immune boosting ingredients like ginger, carrots, and squash. Can we get an amen for using pumpkin in something other than a baked good?!
This recipe is a spin off of a luscious carrot soup my mom used to make. She learned it from her cousin, and I often requested it for my birthday dinner growing up. This stuff is addicting! So, let's get cooking!
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 sweet onion
1/4 cup raw ginger, peeled and chopped
4 minced garlic cloves
2 cups cubed butternut squash
4 cups chopped carrots
1 cup dry white wine
7 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons salt and pepper (or more to taste!)
Step 1:
Chop and peel your ginger and onion and sauté over medium heat in 1/4 cup olive oil. Be sure to add a pinch of salt to draw out any moisture. This should take about 20 minutes. Then, add in your four cloves of minced garlic. Don't add the garlic right away, because you want to prevent it from burning!
Step 2:
Add in your chicken stock, dry white wine, pumpkin, butternut squash, and carrots and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
Step 3:
Purée the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also transfer the soup from the pot to an actual blender. Then, stir in the curry powder, salt, and pepper until evenly incorporated.
Step 4:
Top with toasted pumpkin seeds or fresh chives! This dish would be a festive and nutritious Halloween dinner before trick-or-treating, or would make an elegant first course for your Thanksgiving feast. To get the kids involved, I definitely recommend serving it with a melty grilled cheese -- gruyere preferably!
Health benefits:
This dish is packed with nutrients! It's gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo friendly. It can also easily be made vegan by swapping out the chicken stock for veggie stock. However, the use of the pumpkin truly makes this dish taste so rich and smooth, you'd think this soup was filled with cream and butter. Win, win!
Pumpkin is filled with vitamins, antioxidants and is immunity boosting, which is perfect for heading into the winter months. This seasonal squash is chock full of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and fiber. It also promotes glowing, healthy skin. Carrots and butternut squash also contain many of these same healing properties. Ginger aids in digestion and soothes the tummy (this is great for Halloween night filled with lots of sugar) and also has medicinal properties that help your body fight off illnesses. Garlic also helps boost your body's immune system, and wards off any vampires! Ha! Finally, chicken stock bumps up the protein to make this soup a complete meal.
I hope your family enjoys this just as much as I do! My fiancé says this is his favorite Farm to Fork recipe yet! This soup keeps well in your refrigerator for about a week, and only gets tastier as the flavors meld together. Xo, Ally
