Fall Pumpkin Soup

The fall is a great time to integrate some of the delicious squash that is so readily at the local farmer's markets. I picked up a few small sugar pie pumpkin squash at the Strathcona farmer's market a few weeks ago and today I decided to make pumpkin soup.

Here is the recipe for Fall Pumpkin Soup: (see picture to the left):

2 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion, chopped, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 3 celery ribs, chopped, 1 leek, chopped, 4 cups pumpkin (any type of squash would be fine), peeled and cubed, 1 medium carrot, chopped, 1 1/2 cup zucchini, chopped, 1 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated, 2 tsp sea salt, 6 - 8 cups water, 1/2 cup cashews, 3/4 cup non dairy milk (I used original/unsweetened rice milk), 2 cups purple kale, chopped, 2 cups lima beans, cooked (I cooked the lima beans, which had been soaked for 4 hours prior, while I was preparing the soup)

Place olive oil in large soup pot over low heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add leek and celery and saute for another 2 minutes. Add squash, carrot, zucchini, turmeric, cumin, ginger, and sea salt and saute for another 8 minutes. Add water, bring to boil, and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from heat. Blend cashews and rice milk together with a hand blender (or in regular blender or food processor) to make cashew cream and add to soup. Add kale and lima beans. Dish up and enjoy!

This soup was warming and delicious (I also added a Doctor Kracker seeded spelt cracker to round out the meal)!