Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Anti-inflammatory Soup

This morning I woke up to a delicate blanket of snow covering the ground. November is here and winter is coming! This means its time to make warm and comforting foods, like this delicious pumpkin and sweet potato anti-inflammatory soup.

First, a disclaimer - the pumpkin from this recipe came straight from my sister’s backyard. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that my sister and her husband are blessed with a backyard that keeps on giving. Depending on the season you can feast on sweet cherries from her tree, tomatoes from the backyard, corn, and yes, pumpkins!

So, knowing she had so many of these gorgeous pumpkins laying around, I was inspired to make this soup, in combination with sweet potatoes.

This soup is gluten free and all kinds of delicious, and has a myriad of health benefits.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CURCUMIN

Curcumin is the active ingredient in Turmeric, a spice which is a key component of this recipe. Curcumin helps to:

  1. SUPPORTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

    Curcumin has been shown to be a powerful immunomodulatory agent that can help to activate cells which aid in the immune response, such as T cells, and macrophages. It also helps to downregulate pro-inflammatory agents which helps to reduce inflammation in the body. 

  2. SUPPORTS BRAIN HEALTH

    Curcumin has also been shown to increase Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is linked to improved brain function, the growth of new neurons, and a lower risk of brain disease. In addition, curcumin helps to decrease Beta-amyloid plaques, (build up of protein which are hard and insoluble) which contribute to Alzheimer's Disease, and it also helps to delay the degradation of neurons, which benefits cognitive function.

  3. PROTECTS FROM CELL DAMAGE

    Curcumin is high in antioxidants, which helps to protect our body from free radicals, unstable atoms which cause cell damage and contribute to aging and illness.  

Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 - 40 mins Total time: 50 mins

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 medium pumpkin, seeds removed, chopped in large slices, with the skin on

  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped

  • 1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)

  • 1 tsp of coconut oil, ghee, or avocado oil

  • 4-6* cups of chicken or veggie stock

  • 1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced

  • 1 1/2 tsp of grated turmeric

  • Sea salt to taste

  • to garnish - cilantro, green onions, roasted chickpeas, or a drizzle of coconut milk (my personal favourite)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spread pumpkin and sweet potato over a baking sheet, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, and bake until tender for 30-40 minutes.

  2. Heat stock on stove on medium heat, then reduce heat to keep warm. The range is between 4-6 cups depending on how thick you would like the soup.

  3. Sauté onion with coconut oil, or ghee, or avocado oil for a few minutes, or until tender.

  4. Once pumpkin and sweet potato are done, remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

  5. Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, onions, stock, and turmeric to a blender or food processor and give it a good blitz until creamy and smooth.

  6. Add more salt if you desire.

  7. Garnish as you’d like! So many options to decorate and add flavour.

Enjoy!

Laura Gutierrez