There is really nothing better than pumpkin soup on a cold night. It's so nourishing for the body and the soul. This recipe includes beautiful antimicrobial foods like ginger and garlic in abundance to support the immune system in the cooler months.
My latest nutrition hack is to add unflavoured, high-quality collagen powder into soups because although soups are generally full of veg and incredibly nourishing, they do lack protein or have only minimal amounts which does not make for a balanced meal. You can read my blog all about collagen here to learn more and find out which brands I recommend.
Protein is an incredibly important nutrient for normal bodily functions and most of my clients are not meeting their recommended intakes. It's important not only for muscle growth and repair but also integral for the nervous system, DNA synthesis/repair, hormones and mood.
Ingredients
½ kent pumpkin
400ml organic coconut cream (1 regular sized can)
1 cup bone broth
1 brown onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2cm piece of ginger, skin removed and grated or finely chopped
1 Tbsp Ghee or olive oil, for cooking
1 tsp turmeric powder
Greek yoghurt or sour cream, for dolloping
Option: unflavoured grass-fed collagen powder
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced
Remove skin and seeds from pumpkin and cut into 1-2cm cubes
Place pumpkin onto 2 baking trays, drizzle with olive oil and place into preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through and slightly golden
Add 1 Tbsp ghee or olive oil to a large pot along with the onion and sauté until onion is slightly translucent
Add garlic and stir for 1 minute
Add bone broth, coconut cream and turmeric powder and stir until incorporated
Add ginger (we add this in later to keep it slightly raw and keep its powerful antimicrobial properties intact)
Once the pumpkin is cooked add it into the pot
Use either a stick blender and blend the soup in the pot (this gives you a slightly chunkier soup) or add the contents of the pot into a blender and blend on high for 1 minute for a very smooth soup - try the soup once blended, then season to your liking.
Add in extra water or broth if the soup is too thick
If using collagen: add in 1-2 scoops to your bowl of soup and stir through until collagen is dissolved. This adds around 10-20g of protein to the meal - depending on the brand of collagen you are using and how much you wish to add.
Dollop Greek yoghurt or sour cream on top and serve with your choice of quality sourdough or GF bread
Make a batch and keep it in the fridge for the week or freeze some and thank yourself later!