Pumpkin Soup

Yesterday was a cold and blustery snowy day in Buffalo and my family was in the mood for soup.  I tried this Pumpkin soup recipe I saw in the book "SuperFoods RX" by Steven Pratt, MD.  It is a book I recently borrowed from the library which focuses on how certain foods are much better than others for our health and are the secret to a long and healthy life.  Pumpkin is low in calories, it is a great source of vitamin A, and is also high in fiber.  One serving of this soup as pictured has approximately 100 calories.  I served it with thinly sliced apples and a dollop of plain greek yogurt.

Pumpkin Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
2 cups leeks, white part only, washed and cut into 1 inch slices
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch slices
1 medium green apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch cubes
Two 16 oz. cans unseasoned pumpkin puree
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. black pepper, according to taste
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
7 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 TBS. greek or plain yogurt for garnish
1 medium green apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced for garnish

Chop the leeks, onion, carrots and apple.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks, onion, carrots, apple, pumpkin, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, allspice, and cinnamon.  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes stirring once or as needed until the vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for about 15 minutes.  Discard the bay leaf and the thyme sprig.  Working in batches transfer some of the mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

Pour the soup back into the pot and cook over medium heat until the flavors blend.  Season as needed with salt and pepper.  Add orange juice concentrate if necessary.  I never added the OJ but this ingredient was incorporated in the recipe.  Add more vegetable stock to obtain the desired consistency.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with dollops of plain yogurt and thinly sliced apples.  I added a spoonful of Splenda to my soup to sweeten it just a bit.  My husband actually preferred the soup as is.  Adjust the flavor to suit your own personal preferences.