This soup is a total show stopper. A kick of antiinflammatory curry powder with turmeric and warming spices offset the natural sweetness of the pumpkin and apple. The butter caramelization of the onion, shallots, celery, and apple aids in complexity and layering of flavors. I love the creaminess and how the yogurt topping cools down the spice. If you want to make it dairy-free omit the yogurt and sub the butter for coconut oil.
Makes: 6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped (about 1/3 c)
2 cups chopped celery
1 apple, chopped
2 Tbsp mild curry powder
3 cups chicken bone broth
2 cups pumpkin pumpkin (if canned ensure unsweetened and unseasoned)
1/2 tsp sea salt, more to taste
3 whole bay leaves
1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk, unsweetened
Optional: 1 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup Greek yogurt and chives, for garnish
Roasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish
Chives, chopped, for garnish
Directions:
Melt the butter in a medium-size soup pot. Stir in the onion, shallot, celery, and apple. Sauté the ingredients over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent and ingredients begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and sauté the mixture for another 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of chicken broth and cook another minute.
Pour the contents of the pot into a blender or food processor, add the pumpkin, and puree the soup until it's smooth. Pour mixture back into the pot, then stir in the remaining chicken broth, salt, and bay leaf. Set the soup over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, stir in the coconut milk and honey. Taste the soup, adding more salt or honey if necessary to get the desired balance of sweet and savory. Simmer soup for 2 minutes more to combine flavors then remove the soup from the heat, and serve warm. Garnish each bowl with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped chives and pumpkin seeds.
Nutrition Per Serving: Calories 151, Total Fat 6g, Carbs 18g, Protein 8g
Food as Medicine Tip: Turmeric is one of the most abundant spices in curry powder, and one of the organic components of turmeric is curcumin. Researchers have connected curcumin to a plethora of health related benefits including a reduction in inflammation and joint pain, cancer prevention, heart health benefits as well as prevention in the formation of plaque that free radicals deposit in the neural pathways of the brain and therefore reducing cognitive decline with Alzheimer's disease.
