GOLDEN PUMPKIN AND TURMERIC SOUP

This soup is one of my favourite warming soups for those colder days. I describe this soup as LIQUID GOLD in a bowl, a big warming hug for your gut. Inspired by the changing season from Autumn into winter. A time for welcoming our softer, cooler, yin energy, I instinctively need to start making soup!

Healing Foods in the Fourth Trimester

Soft, soupy foods are favoured around the world to honour and support the body during the post partum period, illness, injury or trauma. When the body needs to focus its energy on healing and restoring, the digestive system is generally considered to be slower and weaker. By eating warm, semi-liquid and mashed foods, it takes less energy for your body to digest and absorb the nutrients and goodness from that food. In essence it leaves the body warmer and with higher levels of energy to help with healing.

Turmeric - This is a wonderful warming spice which aids digestion and promotes heat in the body. It is a an astringent taste made up of earth and air.

Ginger - A medicinal food with amazing warming properties. Ginger increases blood flow, therefore for post partum mamas or during cycle if you notice an increase in blood flow, reduce or omit ginger from the recipe.

Himalayan Pink Salt - Salt is important for hydration and circulation. A coloured salt contains a rainbow of minerals.

Golden Pumpkin & Turmeric Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 tbl Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves garlic

Thumb Fresh Ginger sliced

1 medium pumpkin

2 small sweet potato

3 medium carrots

1 celery stick

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoons cumin powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp Organic Apple cider vinegar

Homemade Vegetable cooking stock OR

1 tbl Bouillon Powder mixed in 1 Litre boiled water

Pinch Himalayan pink salt

To Serve

Drizzle Extra virgin olive oil

Ground Black pepper (to taste)

Creme Fraiche (Optional)

Add 1 tablespoon oil to a frying pan and heat, add one seed and when sizzling add the cumin and coriander seeds to the oil until you can smell the fragrance of the seeds.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool and transfer to a bowl to add later. Chop the garlic and onion. Heat some olive oil in a pan, when hot add the garlic and onions and cook on a gentle heat, until soft. Peal and chop the pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, chop the celery and add to your pan with the onions.

Place your homemade vegetable stock to the pan or add your vegetable stock powder into 1 litre of boiling water and mix until powder has dissolved. Add this to the pan of vegetables with the apple cider vinegar. Add your toasted seeds to the pan and reduce the heat.

Simmer for 30 to 45mins until everything is soft. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Leave to cool and then blend until sooth. Serve with hot witjh Bread or crackers.

YUM!