Pumpkin Soup!!

Yum, yum!! This pumpkin soup is turning into one of my favourites :) 

I love pumpkin! I only really started introducing it into my diet when I was prepping for my shows last year and the year before purely because:

1. Its so tasty! I loved roasting it and seasoning it with salt, pepper and mixed herbs. 

2. It is sooooo low in calories!! So I could really bulk up with meals with it! It's fab. So many people think pumpkin is on the same macro / calorie level as potato or sweet potato when in fact, it's not! 

Here's some comparisons: 

200g White Potato: 188 Calories, 42.2g Carbs, 0.3g Fat, 4.2g Protein

200g Sweet Potato: 171 Calories, 40.6g Carbs, 0.2g Fat, 3.2g Protein 

200g Pumpkin: 52 Calories, 13g Carbs, 0.2g Fat, 2g Protein 

(*amounts extracted and obtained from My Fitness Pal)

Surprised? I know heaps of people are when I tell them the actual caloric amount in Pumpkin! 

Now, of course, you don't have to go and replace your potato with Pumpkin! This was just for comparison purposes and it's good for you to know that it is a lower calorie option if you want to add a little more volume and taste to your meals :) 

OK, moving on to the soup recipe! This is a very basic and simple recipe and it takes no time. I'm no chef and I really do just 'wing' it when I am in the kitchen haha! The recipe I am sharing with you here is exactly what I used yesterday. I worked around the amount of pumpkin and potatoes I had here in my house. 

Photo: Pexels.com

Here it is: 

Pumpkin Soup

685g Pumpkin (raw weight) 

430g Carisma Potatoes (raw weight)**

180g Onion (approx 1 medium onion) 

1 litre of Vegetable Stock (could use chicken either) 

2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Tbsp of Olive Oil

Himalayan Salt & Pepper

Cayenne (optional)

Recipe Serves 4

Macro Breakdown:

Calories 162 Per Servce

Carbs 29.4g

Fat 3.7g

Protein 4.9g

Notes: 

• Carisma Potatoes that I used are available here in Coles Australia and are a lot lower in calories / carbs than normal white potatoes. So bear that in mind if you are using different potatoes as that will change the macros per serve. (Spud lite are also another alternative available in both Woolworths and Coles.) Normal white potatoes can, of course, still be used! 
• Cayenne: I would suggest adding this sparingly to start and taste as you go. I made the mistake the very first time I made this of adding what I thought wasn't much cayenne but it turned out to be quite spicy / hot so go easy on the cayenne to start and add as you go, if you like. Of course, this is optional. I just like it for that little kick :) Personal preference! 

Method: 

• Chop all the veggies up and throw into a big pot! haha! As easy as that :) 
• But, seriously, roughly chop your veg and garlic. Add to a big boiling pot. 
• Pour in your stock and small amount of water, if you like (don't over do the water as it will make your soup too watery / liquidy). 
• Crack in some Himalayan salt, pepper and cayenne (taste as you go, you may need more). 
• Place on a medium heat for approx 30 minutes or until your veg has softened. 
• Blend and serve :) I use a hand held blender to blend mine up, its so quick and handy so I can definitely recommend a hand held blender! (If you live in Australia, Kmart stock ones that are pretty cheap)

Serve with a toasted / fresh sandwich. Chicken / Tuna / Turkey salad sandwich would be ideal as you will be getting more of a protein kick from the meat component as this soup is quite low in protein. OR, it can just be served as an entree / starter to your main dinner meal :) 

And ENJOY!! :) 

As mentioned, this is a really easy and quick soup to make! Satisfying, filling and tasty :) 

Please let me know if you try it and tag me in your shared social media posts :) 

Lisa 

xx

www.lisaberneyfitness.com

@lisa_berney_ 

lisaberneyfitness@gmail.com