Best Holiday Hearty Pumpkin Soup Recipe for Healthy Eating

Hearty Pumpkin Soup For Eating Well & Entertaining

This easy to make soup is heart healthy pumpkin soup recipe made with canned pumpkin puree.  Perfect for serving at the beginning of a meal pairing it with a side salad and protein dishes such as chicken, beef or turkey.  Satisfy your hunger with this delicious comfort food, pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin soup is both nutritious and a satisfying complement to any lunch or dinner.  This easy to follow recipes can be made in minutes and served at meals or frozen for future use.  Eating healthy soups before any meal will make you feel satisfied and less likely to overindulge.

Store single serve portions of soup in your freezer for a quick meal and have comfort food anytime you want.  Serving this recipe in small pumpkins during Thanksgiving will make a huge impression on your guests while eating a healthy meal.

Canned pumpkin puree is available all year long, however, you can roast your own pumpkins and process the flesh in a food processor until;; smooth. Use canned or fresh roasted pumpkin for this pumpkin soup recipe.

Prep Time 30 Minutes/ Serves 6 by Patricia Lynn

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion diced

2 carrots diced

2 stalks of celery diced

1 pound can 13 ounces of  100% pure pumpkin puree ( no sugar or spice added)

8 cups of pure water ( filtered)

1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk or almond milk ( For a creamy consistency) optional

1/2 teaspoon salt

Peper fresh cracked pepper

1 packet of low sodium chicken gravy mix for seasoning ( optional) This will give the soup added flavor without adding too many calories

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds to garnish

chopped parsley to garnish

6 small pumpkins ( For serving guests) Optional

Instructions

1. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a frying pan. Heat the frying pan on, medium heat
2. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and saute until tender 3- to 5 minutes
3. Add the vegetable onion, celery, carrots, and pumpkin puree into a blender with one cup of water and puree.  Add this to a  large pot add the 7 cups of water, pumpkin puree, saltated vegetables.
4. If you have an immersion blender all ingredients can be combined in on the large pot and pureed.
5. Bring the soup up to a simmer.  Add the seasoning salt, pepper and packet of chicken gravy mix.
6. Taste the soup as you go along and make sure not to put in too much salt.  Season to your desired taste.

Prepare the small pumpkins

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Cut the tops off the pumpkins
3. Clean each pumpkin by removing the seeds and membranes by scraping the sides of each pumpkin with a spoon until clean.
4. Place each pumpkin and tops on a cookie sheet lined with the parchment paper cut side up. Place the tops flesh side down on the parchment paper.
5. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with olive oil or use an olive oil spray to lightly coat the inside of each pumpkin.
6. Place the pumpkins in the oven for 30 minutes.  You want the pumpkins to keep their shape intact ( do not overcook)

Serving Suggestions For Pumpkin Soup Recipe During The Holidays

Serve the soup in the pumpkins on a dish and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and sprinkle the top with roasted pumpkin seeds and top with parsley. Add the top of the pumpkin angled on the plate.  Your guests will love this presentation at Thanksgiving.  Enjoy!

If you want to make a large batch of pumpkin soup and freeze it for later, simply let the soup cool to room temperature.  Freeze one cup single serve portions in plastic containers for freezing.  Stack you soup in the freezer for future use.  When you are ready to eat you frozen soup remove the container from the freezer.  Run the plastic container under warm water until the soup releases from the sides of the plastic.  Place the frozen soup in a glass bowl.  Cover with a paper towel.  Microwave on high for two minutes.  Stir the soup and cook for 2 more minutes or until the soup is at the desired temperature.

Note:  it is important not to heat soups in the microwave in plastic containers.  Use glass bowls instead or defrost your soup and heat on low in a pan.

Have hearty healthy soups for entertaining or for individual use anytime you want.

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Leave me a comment  What is your favorite healthy soup?

Cheers

Patricia Lynn

Photo Credit: uwlideas Flickr via Compfight cc