Raw pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin soup / sauce / dip

By Stanka Vukelić

Photo: Stanka Vukelić

Fresh pumpkin recipe

Pumpkin season has arrived, and it’s time to give you a tasty recipe for this all-rounder.

Pumpkins vary greatly in shape, size, and colour. The fruit is one of the most widely grown vegetables. It is rich in vital antioxidants and vitamins (more info on this you’ll find below), but one thing to mention is the key thing that boosts pumpkin to the top of the SuperFoods list – the synergistic combination of carotenoids.

Pumpkins are, therefore, everywhere; nevertheless, most haven’t tried them yet, especially not raw. You’ll be surprised that they are equally good cooked and raw. I use them in raw pumpkin pie recipes, cakes, soups, sauces, and salads (recipes will follow during the course of the winter).

About the preparation and use –

Today I’ve chosen to present to you: The raw pumpkin soup, which can also be used as a sauce or dip.

It is very delicious and at the same time very easy and quick to prepare. The preparation time is 10-15 minutes, and it can be easily used in various ways. Served separately as a soup, or as a sauce for raw spaghettis made out of zucchini, or as a sauce for a raw pizza. Yummy!

If you are still mostly cooking, then is a raw pumpkin soup a much healthier alternative to cooked sauces. Adding the sauce to cooked potatoes, lentils, and beans – is a much better choice over processed food.

However, watch to let the cooked dishes cool down to 115ºF (46ºC) (so that you can hold it in your hand) before adding the raw pumpkin sauce. Through that, the raw ingredients keep their taste, enzymes, vitamins and minerals.

Raw pumpkin soup recipe (as well for sauce or dip)

Ingredients for 2 people:

3-4 cups of chopped pumpkin

2 cups of water

1 avocado

1 teaspoon of honey

pinch of black cumin

pinch of black pepper

pinch of garam masala

1 teaspoon of sea salt

5 tablespoons of sauerkraut (optional)

Methods/steps –

1. Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor.

2. Process until well combined and creamy.

3. Serve and enjoy the delicious fruit of mother nature!

Options:

Instead of avocado, use zucchini.

Extra info –

12 Facts About the pumpkin

1. a very low calorie vegetable – 100 g fruit provides just 26 calories

2. extremely high in fiber

3. storehouse of many vitamins (such as vitamin-A, vitamin-C, vitamin-K and vitamin-E)

4. super-high in vitamin A – 100 g providing about 246% of RDA

5. good source of B-complex group

6. rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus

7. contains a synergistic combination of carotenoids – key nutrient that boosts pumpkin to the top of the SuperFoods list

8. lower risk of cancer

9. lower risk of heart disease

10. lower rates of macular degeneration

11. protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging

12. has very powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties

Raw pumpkin recipes brought to you by:

organictalks.com

Sources and more information:

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html

http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/pumpkin/pumpkin-as-a-super-food.html

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/nutrition.cfm