- November 23, 2024
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If you have watched television at all this week, there is no doubt you have been overloaded with advertisements about weight loss programs and exercise equipment. In fact, the very first commercial after the ball dropped on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” without Dick Clark, was for Weight Watchers. Marketing and advertising executives know that most Americans vow to eat healthier and get in shape. January is the month when the most gym memberships and workout equipment are sold. The most divorces are also filed in January. Shedding dead weight in all aspects, I guess.
It’s not surprising to learn that the first month of the year is known as National Staying Healthy Month. While researching, I found that January is also National Soup Month, and plays host to many other random holidays, including Fruitcake Toss Day, Festival Of Sleep Day, Peculiar People Day and Beer Can Appreciation Day.
In honor of National Soup Month, I have decided to share with you a recipe for curry pumpkin soup. I made this recently to keep this Florida girl warm during our brief cold spell.
Not only is this easy to make, it is jam-packed with vegetables. The curry gives it a slight kick, and the addition of apple and honey add a sweet ending to each bite. Although relatively easy to make, this puréed soup is home to complex flavors.
Of course, with any soup recipe, things can be substituted. My mom makes this soup without the apple and honey. I have also seen it made with bacon and saffron, which bumps up the calories and the cost.
The heavy cream can be substituted for half and half, keeping it just as creamy, but slightly healthier.
Also, to make it a true vegetarian dish, the chicken broth can be swapped for vegetable broth. No matter how you make it, the spice and garden vegetables are sure to keep you warm and on track for your staying-healthy goals for the new year.
Curry Pumpkin Soup
What you need:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups solidly packed pumpkin mash or canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 whole bay leaf
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
What to do:
Melt the butter in a medium-size soup pot. Stir in the onion, celery, and apple. Partially cover the pot and sauté the ingredients over medium-high heat until the onion is clear, about eight minutes. Stir in the curry powder and sauté the mixture for another minute. Stir in one cup of chicken broth and cook it for one minute more.
Add the pumpkin, and puree the soup until it's smooth using an immersion blender. You can also transfer the mix into a blender or food processer.
Pour it all back into the pot, then stir in the remaining chicken broth, salt, and the bay leaf. Set the soup over medium-high heat and bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
After five minutes, stir in the heavy cream and two tablespoons of honey. Taste the soup, adding more salt or honey if necessary to get the desired balance of sweet and savory. Simmer it for two minutes more, remove the soup from the heat, and serve it hot. Makes six servings.
