Creamy Pumpkin Soup
The Simplest Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin was once considered food for pigs, but today it is celebrated for its nutrients and recommended as a warming winter soup. It is exceptionally healthy and nourishing, full of vitamins A, K, C, E, and B, minerals such as iron, magnesium, and potassium, antioxidants, fiber, and easily digested carbohydrates. It can help reduce inflammation, support immunity and digestion, nourish the skin, hair, and eyes, and provide lasting fullness. Prepared according to this recipe, it awakens the digestive fire and warms us from within.
Pumpkin is the queen of this performance and needs only a few supporting players: a simple base and good spices that highlight its richness.
Pumpkin loves plenty of onion, so use one large onion and perhaps a few cloves of garlic, together with just a small piece of white root vegetable, celery or parsley root. Carrot does not work for me alongside pumpkin, so save it for another soup. For the spices, use cumin and coriander, with optional nutmeg and ginger. Add more ginger if you would like a slightly spicier soup that stimulates the digestive juices. I use whatever pumpkin I have. They all work well in soup, although larger varieties are often better roasted. Hokkaido and butternut squash are reliable choices. This autumn and winter soup could hardly be simpler, quicker, or healthier.
INGREDIENTS
– about two cups peeled and diced pumpkin
– one large onion
– two cloves of garlic
– a piece of parsley root or celery
– half a teaspoon of cumin
– half a teaspoon of coriander
– nutmeg, optional
– one teaspoon fresh ginger
– one teaspoon salt
– sunflower oil
PREPARATION
Briefly saute the onion and garlic, cut into medium-sized pieces, in sunflower oil. After five minutes, add the ground cumin and coriander, a little nutmeg, and the ginger to the hot oil and onion. Stir a few times to bloom the spices, meaning just long enough for them to release their aroma without burning. Add the diced parsley root and pumpkin, salt, and enough water to cover everything. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Once the pumpkin is soft, blend the soup. An immersion blender is my tool of choice, and I blend until the soup has a smooth, spoonable consistency. If it is too thick, simply add more water. Some pumpkins are very sweet and filling, so after cooking I add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to balance that richness. Serve decorated with pumpkin seed oil and toasted seeds. Eat immediately, warm and in good company. Mmm, just writing this makes me crave fragrant creamy pumpkin soup!
