Pumpkin Soup the Raw Vegan Way
Appetizing Autumn Soup
Garnished with Yellow Bell Pepper and Pomegranate Kernels
Every fall I look for new and creative ways to enjoy this seasonal squash. You may want to check out last year’s delightful Paleo Pumpkin for a raw fusion vegan holiday offering.
This recipe was contributed to Raw Fusion Living: Recipes for Healthy Living, Natural Weight Loss and Anti-Aging by talented raw chef, Elaina Love.
I personally am not a big fan of squash-based soups but love the savory melody of this one, although I prefer to tone down on the teaspoon of cumin. This soup is always a hit with attendees of my raw foods classes. What I also love about this recipe is that you can substitute with sweet potatoes, as peeling and carving up a pumpkin — albeit the smaller version — is not an easy feat. You can also try this with frozen or pre-packaged butternut squash, or even go Raw Fusion with canned pumpkin puree (but try to source out the BPA free cans.)
My original contribution to this recipe is adding some tart and tasty pomegranate arils to the soup and I have to say it adds a lot!
PUMPKIN SOUP
Makes 6 cups
Ingredients:
2 cups of sugar pie pumpkin or yams, peeled and cubed
1 yellow or orange bell pepper (chopped but save one half for topping)
2 stalks of celery
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 medium to large avocado
3 basil leaves
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup raw almond butter or tahini
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cumin (I personally prefer much less of this)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or a clove fresh garlic
3 TB. wheat free tamari (or add more sea salt to taste)
2 or more cups of water
Optional: Garnish with pomegranate arils
Directions: Blend water and squash for a minute or so until smooth. Add rest of ingredients except for avocado and other half of chopped bell pepper. Blend 40-50 seconds. Add the avocado and blend until creamy. If you are using a high-powered blender, like a Vitamix, you can make it steamy. Serve garnished with remaining pepper and pomegranate kernels.
You can also gently heat in stove until warm to touch or heat for several hours in a dehydrator.
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