Roasted Leek + Pumpkin Soup

I love pumpkin in anything. Whether the dish is sweet or savoury, for me it never disappoints. This recipe is no exception. I think soup is one of the easiest and most fun dishes to make. You really can’t go wrong with a few roasted or steamed veggies, some broth and milk or cream of choice. Toss in your favorite herbs + spices and voila.

Every fall I always buy my share of pumpkins. I roast them in the oven. Puree them and then freeze the puree in small jars. I love it because whenever the craving hits I always have pumpkin puree on hand. Pumpkin spiced hot bevvies all day long.

This soup comes out on the thicker side. If you prefer a thinner soup add more broth. You can also add more pepper to this dish if you like to have a bit more heat.

Besides that it goes with almost anything, other reasons to love pumpkin are because of its nutritional goodness. It’s great source of vitamin A, C, B6, fibre and potassium. We need potassium to keep proper water balance and for muscle and nerve function. B6 helps convert amino acids into serotonin. Helping us have a balanced + happy mood.

Don’t throw away the pumpkin seeds. They are a great source of zinc – awesome for skin health and wound healing.

I hope you enjoy making this soup. Post a comment below on how it came together for you.

 Roasted Leek + Pumpkin Soup

 Serves 4 to 6

 4 large carrots, roughly chopped

½ large leek, chopped into rings

3 garlic cloves, minced

2” ginger, minced or finely chopped

½ small red onion, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. Himalayan salt. divided

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

3 ½ cups vegetable broth

½ cup coconut milk

1 bay leaf

pepper to taste

hemp seeds to garnish

 How to:

• Preheat oven to 375F
• Combine carrots, leeks, onion, garlic, ginger and olive oil together in a mixing bowl. Stir in ½ tsp. salt and generous grinding of pepper.
• Transfer to a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until browned.
• Add roasted veggies to stockpot with remaining ingredients. Cover and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaf. Transfer soup to high-powered blender and puree. Adjust for seasoning and thickness.
• Serve and garnish with hemp seeds.

Note: This soup freezes well and becomes the perfect go-to on nights when there’s no time to cook. Make a big batch and freeze in mason jars. Be sure to leave about 1 - 2” of space at the top of the jar, as soup will expand as it freezes. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts + Swiss Chard Salad

I love a warmed salad on a cold day. This recipe is super simple and one of my favourites. The simplest vinaigrette paired with seasoned Brussels sprouts and Swiss chard.

I normally find Brussels sprouts a bit bitter (doesn't stop my love for them though). Once they're roasted they take on a bit of a sweet almost caramel like taste. I literally can (and do!) eat them on their own.

You might be wondering why I'm using nutritional yeast, or even what it is. I like to use it when I'm taking a break from cheese but still want a creamy, cheesy flavour. This makes nutritional yeast one good substitute. I use it in salad dressings, pestos, nut based creams and sauces.

It's a deactivated form of yeast and has most of the B vitamins naturally occurring in it. You can often find it fortified with B12. It is a complete protein, so all the essential amino acids (the ones we need to get from our diet as our body can't make them) are in nutritional yeast. I personally choose not to rely on it as my main source of protein. It's more of a taste preference for me.

I hope this recipe comes together easily for you. Tell me how you enjoyed it in the comments below.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts + Swiss Chard Salad

Serves 2 mains or 4 sides

12 oz. or 1 ½ cups mung beans, cooked

4 - 5 cups Swiss chard, chopped

450g Brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves removed and halved

1 apple, cored and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. EVOO

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

salt and pepper

How to:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine Brussels sprouts and olive oil together in a bowl. Add in the nutritional yeast. Mix together until the sprouts are well coated. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.
• Place on a cookie sheet and bake for approx. 20 minutes or until sprouts are well browned.
• In a large salad bowl mix together the Swiss chard, apple and mung beans. Add in vinaigrette and toss well.
• Add in roasted Brussels sprouts and serve warm.

Vinaigrette

Juice of ½ lemon (approx. ¼ cup fresh lemon juice)

¼ cup EVOO

½ tsp. Himalayan salt 

How to:

• Mix all ingredients together. Set aside.