Meals That Heal: Moroccan Pumpkin Soup
Embracing Soup Season: Meals That Heal
Did someone say soup season? It is that time of the year when the leaves are changing, and our bodies are craving warm nourishing dishes. Our Moroccan-inspired Pumpkin Soup is a prime example of “meals that heal”, offering a rich blend of flavors and essential nutrients.
Crafting a Healthy Recipe: This deliciously healthy recipe is packed full of anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting ingredients, aiming to keep our taste buds happy and our bodies strong during the colder months.
The Essence of True Pumpkin Flavor: The key to a great pumpkin soup that really tastes like “pumpkin” is to ditch the can and added sugar. By roasting a fresh sugar pumpkin, you allow the natural pumpkin goodness to shine through. (Sugar pumpkins are smaller, denser, and sweeter than carving pumpkins.) Roasting the pumpkin concentrates its naturally creamy texture and earthy sweetness, offering a true and unadulterated taste of pumpkin.
Marrying Savory Aromatics and Moroccan Spices: The roasted pumpkin is then combined with a base of savory aromatics and Moroccan spices, which provide a depth of enticing flavors and textures, enriching the soup with a diverse palate of tastes.
Achieving Velvety Smoothness: When all ingredients are blended together, the result is a velvety smooth soup that balances savory warmth, pops of bold spices, and undertones of sweetness, creating a harmonious and delectable experience for the senses.
Moroccan Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Sugar Pumpkin
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Onion (diced)
- 2 Carrots (sliced)
- 2 Celery Sticks (sliced)
- 3 Garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tbsp Ginger (grated)
- 1½ tsp Cumin
- 1½ tsp Paprika (smoked)
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Cloves
- ½ tsp Cayenne
- ½ tsp Salt & Pepper
- 1 Lemon (juiced)
- 4 cups Vegetable stock
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 handful Pepitas (roasted) - for garnish
- 1 sprinkle Cayenne - for garnish
- 1 drizzle Yogurt - for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil it. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Split pumpkin in half with a heavy chef’s knife or cleaver. Scoop out the seeds and save to be roasted if you like. Rub pumpkin on all surfaces with oil and season with salt. Place cut-side-down on the baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast until completely tender, flipping halfway through cooking for a total cook time of 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.
- While the pumpkin is roasting make the soup base. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally to ensure vegetables do not burn.
- Add the garlic, ginger salt, pepper and ground spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir the whole time to ensure spices do not burn.
- Add in the lemon juice to deglaze the pot. Stir to make sure none of the spices are sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the stock, and add the bayleaf. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using a large spoon, scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin and add it to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes longer, then remove bay leaves and discard.
- Purée soup in a blender in batches or with a hand blender in the pot until completely smooth, Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve in bowls with garnishes.
- Soup can also be cooled down and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months. Leftovers always taste amazing so I recommend making a large batch at one time to have on hand and freeze.
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We invite you to explore and embrace this guide, joining us in the pursuit of a balanced and healthy diet. Discover the transformative power of mindful eating and start your journey to a healthier, more harmonious life with A Holistic Highway!
