Saturday 29 October 2016

Pumpkin and kale soup


It's pumpkin time of the year again! What a glorious vegetable, so versatile and pretty looking. I absolutely love its vibrant orange colour and often use pumpkins in my house as decorations during Autumn months, but you can do SO much more with this amazing vegetable... Roast it, bake a cake or make nutritious, warming soup.
Pumpkins are rich in vitamin A, which is great for our eyesight. Eating pumpkins can boost immune system - they are a solid source of vitamin C. It's one of the best-known sources of beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant.
Pumpkins are amazing - next time you're carving one, don't throw away the flesh, instead use it to make some delicious meals. Or even better use the whole pumpkin :-)
If you buy the right variety you can even eat the skin!
Kale adds interesting flavour and lots of amazing health benefits too.

Prep time 10 minutes, cooking around 30 minutes

Here's what you need:
1 small sized pumpkin
a handful of kale
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stock cube - to make 500ml of stock (I recommend Kallo for lower salt content)
half a tsp of turmeric
half a tsp of cinnamon
half a tsp of ground ginger
pinch of chilli flakes
salt and black pepper to taste
nigella seeds to decorate and for added crunch
a drizzle of olive oil
a dollop of coconut oil for frying



Here's how to do it:
Pre-heat the oven to around 200 degrees. Wash and chop the pumpkin - the variety I bought didn't even require peeling the skin. Place in an oven dish, drizzle with olive oil and crush two garlic cloves and scatter over the pumpkin. Place in the oven for around 20 minutes (until the pumpkin in nice and soft).



In the meantime chop the onion, heat the coconut oil in a large pan, then fry until soft. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, chilli and ginger. Fry for a couple minutes. Add washed kale, stirring it continuously so it doesn't burn. Fry for few minutes. If the pumpkin is ready, add it to the frying pan, then pour the stock.





Wait until it starts boiling, then cover and simmer for around 10 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Take off heat. Blend it all to create a smooth consistency adding more water depending on how creamy/watery you want it to be. 
Sprinkle with some nigella seeds for added flavour. Enjoy, what a treat!! Long may continue the pumpkin season.






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