Craving for something warm is only natural during the ongoing cold wave, and nothing can beat the comfort of a bowl of hot soup. The quickest way to prepare soup at home, which most of us prefer, is emptying a market-brought sachet in a pot and heating it for a few minutes. While it may sound easy and convenient, it is not healthy. In fact, such soups are high in sodium content and come with additional preservatives which are not good for health. So, what should be done? Well, don't worry! We have a healthy, tasty, and better alternative for you - a soup recipe that is not only rich in taste but comes with many health benefits. Dr Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist, shared a recipe for creamy pumpkin soup which she said is good for your brain health, too. Besides being rich in flavours, this soup is filled with vitamins, fibres, and probiotics among other nutrients. "This soup is full of fibre and vitamins from the pumpkin, probiotics from the garlic, healthy fats from the olive oil, and anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant rich turmeric (a brain superfood)! If you choose to add pumpkin seeds and chickpeas as toppings, you’ll be adding tryptophan to fight insomnia and anxiety," mentioned Dr Uma in her Instagram post. So, what are you waiting for? Let's prepare this healthy soup, satiate our tastebuds and boost our brain health. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Uma Naidoo, MD (@drumanaidoo) Ingredients * 1/2 tsp turmeric * 1/2 tsp sea salt * 1/2 tsp nutmeg * 1/2 tsp cinnamon * Dash of cayenne * Dash of black pepper * One 4lb (1.8 kg) pumpkin * 1 yellow onion * 4-6 garlic cloves * 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth * 4 tbsp olive oil * 1 cup coconut cream * sprinkle of crunchy chickpeas Method *Preheat oven to 425F *Peel pumpkin, cut into cubes, brush with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and roast for 30 minutes (till tender and slightly roasted) *Heat the remaining EVOO in a pot over medium heat. Once the oil is simmering, add onion and garlic. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent to caramelised (about 10 minutes) *Add spices and roasted pumpkin to the pot. Use your stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin a bit. Pour in the broth and coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes to give the flavours time to meld *Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly. You can use an immersion blender to blend this soup in the pot. *Serve the soup and sprinkle crunchy chickpeas and chopped coriander. Tip: You can change the pumpkin to pumpkin puree and skip roasting. Roast the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle them on the top, Dr Naidoo suggested. 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
