LPN’s Fall Soup Fave: Vegan Spicy Roasted Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup

Oh fall, the year’s last lovely smile.

I absolutely adore the change of the seasons and with today being the first official day of fall, I thought it would be good timing to post one of my favourite fall soup recipes: Spicy Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup. Not only is it nourishing to your body, but the beauty enhancing nutrients from the pumpkin and sweet potato, also make it a perfect fit for your beauty routine.

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Beauty Benefits of Pumpkin & Sweet Potato

The alpha and beta-carotene found in pumpkins are antioxidants. Since they convert to Vitamin A in the body it helps  to slow the aging process (not to mention prevent tumor growth, and improving your vision). Pumpkin and sweet potatoes are also fantastic sources of vitamin C, which help protect your skin from free radical damage (i.e. wrinkles and even skin cancer).

Minerals such as potassium, copper, magnesium, manganese, and iron are found in pumpkins. Potassium helps promote healthy hair and regrowth, while copper and zinc are important for healthy skin and hair. Zinc also helps protect cell membranes, maintain collagen (forget botox, eat pumpkin!) and fight acne.

Ok, so it’s good for you… now let’s get into how you make this delicious soup!

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Ingredients

The ingredients come in three parts: the spice, soup vegetables and the toppings.

First mix up the spicy “paste”, this is what you will use to cover the pumpkin & sweet potato before you put it in the oven for roasting.

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Spicy Paste

Mix up the following in a small bowl*:

  • 2 TBS coriander
  • 2 TBS Fennel Seeds
  • 4 TSP cumin
  • 1 TSP Cracked Black Pepper
  • 2 Cloves of crushed garlic

Main Soup Ingredients

  • 3 large sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 large pumpkin or 1 small sweet pumpkin
  • 2 onions
  • 1 inch of grated ginger
  • 400 ml can of organic coconut milk
  • 2 crushed cloves of garlic
  • 4 cups of vegetable stock
  • 2 TBS of coconut oil
  • 2 TBS of maple syrup

Ingredients for Top

  • Pumpkin Seeds (raw)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt
  • Chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions

  1. Preheat oven 200 degrees C
  2. Blend together spices from the paste ingredients
  3. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper
  4. Peel the sweet potatoes & cut into wedges
  5. Slice open the pumpkin and clean out the insides (save the pumpkin seeds for later if you wish to roast them :)
  6. Slice the pumpkin into wedges about 5-7 cm thick so they look like smily faces
  7. Rub spicy paste over the pumpkin and sweet potato wedges, then bake for 40 minutes (or until tender)

While the potatoes and pumpkin bake:

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  1. Add coconut oil to (very) large pot & the chopped onions
  2. When onions start to turn translucent add the garlic & ginger
  3. Pull the pumpkin & potatoes out of the oven add the potatoes to the pot, then add the vegetable stock
  4. Peel the pumpkin (using a knife) away from the skin, chop as you go and add to the pot
  5. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth
  6. Add coconut milk, maple syrup, sea salt and pepper to taste
  7. Continue heating and blending until smooth
  8. Adjust spices to taste

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While the soup continues to cook, toast your pumpkin seeds

  1. In a small pot, add a tiny bit of coconut oil to the raw pumpkin seeds
  2. Add spices and continue to stir until seeds are toasted
  3. Chop parsley for topping

Add your toppings to the soup and serve.

This recipe will serve about 6 people, but you can always freeze some for busy days <3

Happy fall, beauties!

X

K

 

*Adapted from Simon Taylor’s spice blend