This recipe is in between a soup and a creamy pasta dish, and is one of my all time favorites for this time of year!

It's also the perfect thing to add to your Thanksgiving menu. Hearty, warming, and full of essential carbohydrates, vitamins and healthy fats that leave you feeling pleasant and never groggy.

'Tis the season for pomegranates! You'll start to notice pomegranates for sale in shops, their crimson almost painterly looking shell sitting pretty on the shelves. Pomegranates are a superfood, not only are they a powerhouse of antioxidants having three times the amount as a glass of wine or green tea. But they also contain vitamin A, C, E and folic acid. These little rubies are known for maintaining healthy blood circulation and curing problems related to the heart. There are even some studies that indicate pomegranate has the ability to help cure stomach diseases, cancer and diabetes! Pomegranates' small little seeds are crunchy with a surprising burst of sweet juice. You can also juice them, add them to salads, oatmeal or just snack on them like popcorn. 

They are known to be quite tricky and messy to get them out of their “shell”, but I have a trick for you that will make it a breeze! Fill a medium sized bowl up with water. Cut the pomegranate in half and then taking one of the halves, submerge it in the bowl of water as you start to tear the pomegranate apart to pop the seeds out. This way the red juice only spurts into the water, not your clothes or kitchen cupboards. Once all the seeds are out you will notice that the white pith will have floated to the surface of the water while the red seeds are at the bottom. Scoop out any pith from the top then simply drain the water from the seeds! Voila!

Oh Pumpkin...everyone’s favorite fall ingredient. Instead of using canned pumpkin in this recipe we are going straight to the source and buying ourselves a pie pumpkin which can be found at pretty much all grocery stores this time of year. You will most likely find them where the butternut and spaghetti squashes are. Pumpkin is full of vitamin A which is essential for clear and healthy looking skin. Pumpkin also aids in weight-loss, is a great thing to eat after a workout and can boost your immune system for the upcoming winter months! Now, let’s get on with the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 green onions

2 cloves garlic

1 thumb grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground turmeric

4 cups vegetable stock

1 small pie pumpkin peeled and cubed

1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)

1 tbsp creamy peanut butter

4 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 head of broccoli, chopped

1 package japanese udon noodles or rice noodles

1 pomegranate, seeds taken out using method mentioned above

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

The Process:

  • Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add green onions, garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn.

  • Add the vegetable broth, turmeric and cubed pumpkin. Bring soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork tender.

  • Take soup off the heat and add to a blender. If your blender is small add only half and blend in 2 batches.

  • Add blended soup back to the soup pan on medium heat. Add coconut milk, peanut butter, tamari and stir until there are no lumps. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

  • Add chopped broccoli to the pot and stir. Let soup simmer until broccoli is tender.

  • Let soup be and prepare noodles according to package instructions.

  • When the noodles are ready add some to a bowl, ladle creamy pumpkin soup over the noodles and top with pomegranate and cilantro! (diced avocado would be delicious served with this as well!)

  • Enjoy!