Pumpkin Soup with a Twist

You have probably noticed by now I tend to add a little flavour twist to a lot of my dishes and this soup is no exception. I have my husband to thank for that, born and raised in India he has introduced me to a whole new world of spice and flavour. He has always encouraged me to be liberal with my spices and that too much flavour is better than none at all. I have learnt you cannot really go too wrong except adding a little too much chilli!! This recipe has been so popular I included it in my book Slow Cooked available both as an ebook and spiral-bound copy.

This soup uses the ever so humble pumpkin, a very cost effective vegetable high in essential vitamins, minerals (especially Vitamin A and Potassium) and contains valuable anti-inflammatory properties. It leaves a glorious smell in the house and is a perfect meal for the whole family.

You will need a food processor/stick blender and a slow-cooker (or you can cook on low heat in a large pot).

Ingredients:

Olive oil or gee (to fry)

1 onion, chopped

2 Tbs crushed garlic

1 Tbs paprika (or amount to your liking)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp of cayenne pepper or ground chilli

½ pumpkin, chopped

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup chicken stock

Cream or the fatty part of coconut cream (to thicken at the end)

Coriander (to garnish)

Salt and pepper (to season)

Directions:
Prepare all the vegetables.

Heat a large fry-pan and add a tiny bit of olive oil/gee and fry the onion for a couple of minutes to soften, quickly add the crushed garlic and spices.

Add the chopped pumpkin and stir quickly with a wooden spoon to cover in spice paste, remove and add to the slow cooker. If you have time you can quickly pan-fry the potatoes (dry, do not add oil) to also coat in flavour and add to the slow cooker.

Add in the chicken stock and cook on low for approximately 4 hours.

Add soft vegetables to a food processor and pulse to combine (or blend with a stick blender). Add a little bit of cream to thicken if desired.

Serve in bowls and garnish with freshly crushed pepper and coriander. The soup is perfect on it's own, or you can pair with the grain-free bread from my Baby & Toddler Cookbook.

A young curly haired Arjun enjoying this as a toddler back in 2014 (tigers essential)


If you are a slow cooker fan like me be sure to check out my book 'Slow Cooked' which is also available in a complete ebook bundle!

xx Dr Julie