PP: Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup

Member Contributor:  Jessica Hallenbeck
Makes:  6-8 Servings
Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cook Time:  1 hr 35 minutes
Total Time:  1 hr 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable Stock

• 1 white onion
• 2-3 carrots, tops removed
• 2-3 celery stalks
• 2 stalks of Fennel (optional)
• 4-6 c water

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup 

• 2 c diced White Onion
• 1 c diced celery
• 1 c diced carrot
• 3 c sweet potato, cook (roasted is best; 400 degree oven for 1 hour)
• 3 c pumpkin canned, if fresh, cooked
• 4 c Vegetable stock (I used homemade or can use store bought—I recommend low or no sodium)
• sea salt, dash
• Pepper, few dashes or to taste
• 1 t nutmeg
• 1 T cinnamon
• 2 cloves Star Anise
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, minced

DIRECTIONS 

Vegetable Stock

Note: A basic vegetable stock is carrot, celery, and onion. You are free to experiment with other veggies and herbs as you choose. Depending on the size of your veggies you may need to adjust amounts. Don’t season with salt or pepper at this time.

1. Add veggies and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour.
2. Remove from heat and strain vegetables from stock. 

Baked Pumpkin & Sweet Potato

1. Bake pie pumpkin at 350 for about 45 min. May bake in oven whole or cut in half before baking. If pumpkin is cut prior to baking may remove seeds. Place on roasting pan flesh side down. I lined my pan with parchment paper.
2. Wrap sweet potatoes in foil and bake at the same time. (Generally I would bake sweet potatoes at 400 for about 1 hour). After I removed the pumpkin I turned up the heat to 400 and baked the potatoes for about 20 more minutes.
3. Remove skin from your pumpkin and sweet potato and prepare to use the flesh for soup.
4. **At this point you could toss the pumpkin flesh in a blender or food processor for fresh instead of canned pumpkin puree.
5. Saute carrots, celery, and onion in a bit of vegetable stock for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add remaining ingredients. 
7. Bring to a boil then simmer about 25-35 minutes.
8. Remove the star anise cloves and use a high speed blender (I used a Vitamix) to puree the soup.

TIPS

1. Use store bought vegetable stock to shorten cook time. 
2. I chose to oven bake the sweet potato and pumpkin as it brings out different flavors than alternative methods of cooking. 
3. I have not made this dish with canned pumpkin but that is an alternative to fresh.
4. Raw pumpkin seeds were used for a garnish. May omit for Plant Perfect recipe.

An enthusiastic PBNSG member, Jessica is passionate about plant based nutrition dishes that are delicious.  Visit her on Facebook  & Instagram:  http://www.facebook.com/jauntingwithjess
http://www.instagram.com/jauntingwithjess