Recipe: Immune Booster Pumpkin Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Roasted Pumpkin:

• 1/2 butternut pumpkin (1kg)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Soup:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion roughly diced
• 1 bunch (6-8 stalks) celery. Roughly diced.
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/8 fresh grated nutmeg
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 litre of vegetable vegan stock (low sodium)
• 2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Wash, remove seeds and roughly chop pumpkin into large cubes and place onto a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika and cumin and place pumpkin in the oven and bake for 35 min or until the pumpkin is soft and lightly golden.
3. Allow to cool and peel off skin from the pumpkin.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté onion in a large soup pot over medium heat until onion is slightly translucent.
5. Add in celery and minced garlic and sauté for 5-8 min over medium heat or until celery has softened.
6. Add in your peeled roasted pumpkin, spices (cumin, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper, coriander, nutmeg) and rosemary and stir well together.
7. Add in vegetable broth, almond milk, almond butter and coconut sugar and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
8. Remove soup from heat and blend using a stick mixer or in 3-4 batches in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy and no strings from celery remain.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. You may like to add some more almond milk or water for a thinner consistency. Serve with fresh coriander and fresh bread.