Pumpkin & Coconut Soup
August 12, 2017 | Tanya Soman
I found this much loved Pumpkin Soup recipe tucked away among the well-worn pages of my little black book for recipes and home remedies. It has all my favorite family recipes and is one of my most prized possessions! It is such an easy soup to cook and makes for a highly satisfying weeknight meal. We enjoy this often with a side of toasted wholegrain bread, sauteed green veggies or grilled chicken.
As is the case with all recipes, you can easily tweak this recipe to add in more of your favorite vegetables. I once replaced the garbanzo beans with cauliflower puree and was SO delicious!
Pumpkin is one of those vegetables which kids either love or hate. My daughter is a pumpkin lover but this soup got my pumpkin-hating older baby (aka husband!) to also appreciate this lovely nutritious vegetable in a whole new way. Make this and enjoy with the whole family.
Mamas with babies: This recipe is a great dinner for babies over 9-10 months old too. Just add in a bit of steamed brown rice/couscous or whole grain pasta and top with a wee bit of grated Parmesan to make the yummiest baby food!
Why is this good? Pumpkin makes this soup a powerhouse of beta carotene, potassium, protein, and iron. Beta-carotene is important for maintaining healthy eyes, lungs, heart function and circulation. Chickpeas are a great source of fiber and protein. Coconuts are highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals. Coconut milk is lactose-free making this recipe suitable for little ones who are allergic to dairy.
Sources: http://www.superkidsnutrition.com , http://www.livestrong.com, http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com
Ingredients:
- 1 cup mashed Pumpkin (baked or steamed)
- 1+1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 clove Garlic, sliced
- 1 med. Onion, sliced
- 3/4" knob peeled ginger, sliced into thin rounds
- 3/4 cup thick / OR /1-1/2 cups thin coconut milk
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked garbanzo beans (or low sodium canned ones)
- 1/2 cup Water
- Salt & pepper, as needed
Do-ahead for pumpkin: If roasting the pumpkin, preheat oven to 180 deg C. Cut half of a small pumpkin into 1″ cubes. Tumble the cubes on to a baking tray lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle a little olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Toss well. Bake for about 25-30 mins or till the pumpkin is soft and lightly golden. Cool slightly and mash well using a fork. This should make about 1 cup of mash/puree. Set aside.
– OR –
Steam/boil the peeled pumpkin cubes in water. Drain, cool and mash well. Reserve the cooking liquid to use for thinning out the soup later.
Do-ahead for chickpeas: Soak 1/2 cup of dried garbanzo beans in warm water for at least 4-5 hours or overnight. Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas in 2 to 3 cups of fresh water for 6-7 whistles or till soft. Drain and set aside to cool.
Method for soup:
1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the sliced garlic, onion and ginger and saute till soft. Pour the coconut milk in followed by the chickpeas. Do not boil, but just let the mixture warm through nicely and then turn off the heat. Allow the pan to cool down a bit.
2. Place half the onion-coconut-milk-garbanzo mixture in a high speed blender with half of the pumpkin mash. Add a little water (or the cooking liquid from the pumpkin). Puree till nice and smooth. Add the remaining ingredients in batches to get a nice velvety smooth soup.
3. Pour the pureed soup back into your saucepan. Heat through once while occasionally stirring. Adjust the consistency to your liking with some water (or some low salt chicken stock, preferably home) and season with salt and pepper.
