Keto-Friendly Aromatic Pumpkin Soup

Soup is one of the oldest dishes in recorded history, and was done by throwing various ingredients into a pot with water to create a flavorful broth. According to a report from NPR, the earliest evidence of soup dates to around 28,000 years ago when human civilization was still in its infancy.¹

Today, soup favors greatly in cuisines around the world, with each having their own unique concoctions. In the United States, pumpkin soup is prepared in countless ways, and this delicious recipe from Jennafer Ashley of Paleohacks, created specifically for the readers of Mercola.com, is a worthy addition to the list. It makes use of other herbs and spices for additional flavor. Moreover, it utilizes healthy fats to give the dish a nutritious profile that is superior to commercially processed soup.

Keto-Friendly Aromatic Pumpkin Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Serving Size: 5

Ingredients

• 3-pound pie pumpkin, halved, with seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• 1/2 cup sweet white onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1 sprig of thyme, leaves only
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup coconut cream

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and fill a casserole dish with 2 cups of water.
2. 
   Place the pumpkin halves cut-side down into the casserole dish. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserts easily.
3. Use tongs to remove the pumpkin from the pan and cool on a plate for 10 minutes.
4. 
   While the pumpkin cools, melt the ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for five minutes. Stir in garlic, sage and thyme. Sauté for three minutes longer or until onions are softened.
5. 
   Scoop out the cooled pumpkin flesh and add to a stock pot along with the onion/herb mixture. Add the chicken stock and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. (The mixture can also be blended in two batches using a high-speed blender or food processor.)
6. Warm the soup over medium heat for seven to eight minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
7. 
   Ladle into bowls and drizzle with coconut cream.

4 Impressive Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkin is one of the most popular base ingredients for soup. Its creamy texture and sweet flavor provide a good foundation that’s improved further when combined with other ingredients, especially the ones listed in this recipe. Pumpkin is actually good for your health, as research has shown that it may help with the following:

• Eye health — The University of Illinois notes that pumpkin is one of the richest sources of beta-carotene you’ll ever find. The vegetable’s bright color is a giveaway of this plant’s beta-carotene levels.² When digested, beta-carotene turns into vitamin A, a nutrient that may help maintain healthy eyesight.³
• Cell health — A study published in Food Chemistry notes that carotenoids found in vegetables such as pumpkin may help fight free radicals.⁴ One example is helping lower your risk of skin damage due to ultraviolet light exposure.⁵
• Cancer risk — A 2013 meta-analysis notes that increased carotenoid intake may help lower the risk of gastric cancer.⁶
• Heart health — The antioxidants found in pumpkin may help reduce bad cholesterol levels, helping promote a healthy cardiovascular system.⁷

Ghee and Coconut Cream Provide You With Healthy Fats for Ketone Production

Ghee is another name for clarified butter, and its main difference to regular butter is that it doesn’t have as many dairy proteins. To achieve this, the butter is heated and the liquid fats are separated from the milk solids that have caramelized. The result is a butter that is darker and has a nutty flavor. Coconut cream, on the other hand, is a liquid that tastes similar to coconut milk. The main difference is that coconut cream has a higher fat content, making it thicker.⁸

While each has its own unique flavors, ghee and coconut cream have a single, important commonality: healthy fats. These substances are crucial for optimal well-being, with the research to back up these claims.

Ghee, for example, contains a fatty acid known as butyrate acid. A 2013 study notes that this substance possesses anti-inflammatory properties that may help fight bacteria in the stomach, such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella.⁹ Coconut cream, on the other hand, is rich in lauric acid, a form of ketone immediately utilized as energy instead of being stored as body fat.¹⁰

Sage and Thyme Add Flavor and Antioxidants

No gourmet soup is complete without the use of herbs, and this recipe uses two classics: sage and thyme. Sage is known for its strong, minty aroma and sweet, yet somewhat bitter flavor,¹¹ while thyme is characterized as having a pungent, earthy flavor that goes well with soups.¹² Combining both in pumpkin soup creates an eclectic mix of flavors that will certainly get your taste buds tingling.

Not only that, both herbs may benefit your health. Research shows that sage has far-reaching properties that may help protect against diabetes and cancer, and improve your memory and cholesterol levels.¹³ Thyme, on the other hand, has been found to help manage inflammation by reducing production and gene expression of proinflammatory mediators.¹⁴

Enjoy This Keto Pumpkin Soup’s Flavor and Benefits

Who knew that pumpkin soup, especially this simple recipe, can actually benefit your health in so many ways? This creamy, aromatic and fat-rich dish is sure to be a part of your regular diet. Not only is it delicious, it’s easy to make, ensuring that every member of your family enjoys it too.