Easy, healthy pumpkin soup

Easy, healthy pumpkin soup

Guys, I never thought that I’d be sharing a pumpkin soup recipe on this blog. This is mostly due to the fact that I used to avoid pumpkin at all costs.

When I moved to the States years a go, it was right around Fall and I realized just how obsessed everyone was with everything “pumpkin spice.” It was also right around that time when I had my first pumpkin spice latte (I mean, how could you not?), and I thought it was gross. Ever since then, I stayed away from anything “pumpkin.”

Few years later, when my husband and I moved in together, I realized just how much HE loves everything pumpkin: pumpkin cakes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream, etc. Thanksgiving is also his favorite holiday so pumpkin pie is always a must. Even though I’d bake it every year for him, I’d only had a small piece myself. Every year my “small” piece kept getting a little bigger and even though you won’t ever catch me drinking pumpkin spice latte again, I kinda have to say that pumpkin has grown on me.

Few weeks a go I made this pumpkin soup for the first time, and it was the bomb. So quick and easy to make, full of flavor, healthy yet very comforting and just perfect for those cold, gloomy days.

Easy and healthy pumpkin soup

3 lb sugar pumpkin*
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp paprika
salt, pepper to taste
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 TBS coconut palm sugar
1 tsp chili powder
dash of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the pumpkin in half, then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp. Brush the inside of the pumping with a little olive oil and bake for half an hour.
2. In the mean time, heat some olive oil in a tall pot, add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant then add: paprika, chili powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook until everything combines nicely, around 2-3 minutes.
3. Once your pumpkin is done, let it cool off a bit so you don’t burn yourself while peeling it. Once the pumpkin has cooled off a little, peel the skin off, and cube it.
4. Add your pumpkin to the onion/garlic mix, making sure to combine everything nicely then cook covered for about 2 minutes.
5. Add coconut milk and enough water to cover the pumpkin, then cook everything for about 10 minutes, covered.
6. Using a hand blender, blend everything together until your soup becomes smooth and creamy, then add the rest of the spices: sugar, salt and pepper, and if need be, a little more paprika. I also love adding just a small dash of cayenne pepper.
7. Garnish your soup with a little coconut milk, roasted pumpkin seeds and parsley. Serve hot.

*if you want to make this but are short or on time and don’t want to mess around with scooping and baking the pumpkin, you can also use organic pumpkin puree instead.