This Delicious Pumpkin Soup Helps Balance Moods & Hormones!
With the colder weather rolling in, soup season is here! We have a delicious (and easy!) homemade soup recipe that will satisfy all your fall cravings, while also packing in some healthy vegetables. This pumpkin soup’s creamy, rich flavor pairs great with freshly baked bread and is sure to be a great addition at your fall gatherings.
Soup offers a surefire way to consume an abundance of vegetables, with the fiber still intact. But why is that important?
The abundance of fibrous veggies on top of probiotic-rich yogurt in this recipe optimizes digestion and gut health, cultivating a diverse range of bacteria in the gut. Promoting good gut health alone helps to stabilize mood, reduce inflammation, and balance hormones.
Specifically the orange veggies in this recipe, pumpkin and carrots, are rich in carotenoids, a pro-vitamin A antioxidant. Carotenoids have many benefits, including supporting immune function and inflammation, skin health, and may help to support naturally declining progesterone levels.
To finish it off, we recommended adding mixed seeds for an added crunch — our top choices are hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds! Sunflower seeds are a great source of magnesium, helping to regulate moods, hormone levels, and maintain healthy bones. While hemp and pumpkin pack in protein and zinc, a trace element that strengthens the immune system and fights inflammation — and just in time for flu season.
You can add in squash or other veggies to the pumpkin base if you’d like, or toss on additional toppings like croutons or fresh herbs to add your own twist!
Quick Fall Pumpkin Soup
Servings: 4-6 (you can freeze and warm up any extra on the days when you're too busy - or too tired! - to cook)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Here’s what you’ll need:
2lb pumpkin or squash, peeled, seeds removed and chopped into chunks
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped into chunks
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
5 oz plain yogurt of your choice
1 TBSP mixed seeds, per serving
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 slice of sourdough bread
Notes: Any type of bread will do here, but research shows sourdough contains many pre-biotic and pro-biotic properties that help to support gut health and digestion!
Here’s how to make it:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery and cook for 5 mins over medium-high heat until soft, but not brown.
2. Add the pumpkin or squash to the pan and cook for a further 3 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Pour the stock over the veggies and bring to a boil. Simmer until pumpkin is soft.
4. Remove from heat and using a stick blender, blend until smooth.
5. Stir in plain yogurt and season with salt and pepper.
6. Ladle into a soup bowl, and sprinkle with the seeds of your choice. Enjoy with a slice of sourdough bread!
Calories: 260
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 45g (4g Fiber, 17g Sugar)
Protein: 10g
Let us know what you think of the soup and any fun twists you add in the comments below! Or take a pic and tag us on Instagram @mbody.official.
