Curried Pumpkin Soup

It’s finally Fall!  Pumpkin is a very nutritious vegetable that we tend not to think about other than pie.  If you don’t load it up with cream, pumpkin is a low calorie food, with tons of Vitamin A (good for your eyes) and minerals like calcium, potassium, phosphorus, copper and manganese. These minerals can play a role in your ability to stay hydrated, among other benefits. Like all members of the squash family, it’s actually a fruit! The seeds are also delicious, and super-nutritious. Here’s one of my favorite healthy pumpkin soup recipes.  

Curried Pumpkin Soup.

• 2 medium onions (or 1 onion and a few shallots)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece of ginger
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 2 tsp ground cumin*
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1. Finely chop onions.
2. Mince garlic and ginger. It’s easiest to put the garlic through a press, and use a grater or microplane for the ginger. Or use garlic and ginger paste if you’re in a hurry.
3. Heat a heavy sauté pan over fairly low heat.  Add enough olive oil (or coconut oil, if you like the flavor) to really coat the bottom of your pan:  about 1 – 2 tablespoons.  Add brown mustard seeds.  Let them “pop”.  Add the onion, let it sauté a few minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and let that cook a bit.
4. Add cumin, coriander and cardamom. *Or just use a curry powder you like; I use a combination of mustard seeds, cumin and curry powder.
5. Now you can open 2 big cans of pumpkin and toss that it.  You want at least 3 cups.  Trader Joes has organic pumpkin; just make sure you don’t use pumpkin pie filling!  Now add about 3 cups of water, 2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock, and 1 can of full-fat coconut milk (also available at Trader Joes).

If you want to make this ahead of time, just cool completely and refrigerate.  When you re-heat it, you can top it with a little creamy yoghurt and some cilantro, if you like.  

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