In Season: Pumpkin Soup

  Pumpkin is the berry fruit of the pumpkin plant and belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. This family includes about 850 species of plants, mostly herbaceous, climbing, or creeping, that produce large fruits protected by a firm rind. Some fruits like watermelon and melon, along with common vegetables like cucumber or zucchini, belong to this same family. The main varieties of pumpkin are summer and winter. Summer pumpkin: variety with light, thin skin and soft seeds. It has a short shelf life. Within this variety is the white, green, or yellow bonnet pumpkin, the spaghetti squash (yellow), and the round pumpkin (orange skin and whitish flesh). Winter pumpkin: sweeter variety, but drier than summer, with lower water content and thicker skin. It keeps longer than summer varieties due to the thickness of its skin. This group includes banana pumpkin, citron squash (with gelatinous pulp and intense yellow color), and sweet pumpkin or angel hair pumpkin (with variable shape and color), from which angel hair is obtained, used as a filling in various pastry products. The pilgrim pumpkin or winegrower's pumpkin is a variety with a constricted bottle shape that can be used as a container once dried. There are also other less known varieties of pumpkin, such as American, Thick Yellow of Paris, Full of Naples, Red of Etampes, Spanish Green, bonnet, and Brazilian zucchini. The best season Thanks to the wide variety of pumpkins available, they can be found in the market all year round, depending on whether they are summer or winter varieties. During this autumn season, pumpkin consumption is very common, and that's why we provide you with this recipe to make a delicious soup at home: Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 45 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped 2 medium stalks of celery, finely chopped ¼ cup (70 g) tomato puree 3 1/3 cups (850 ml) low-sodium chicken broth 1 bay leaf 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme 450 g cooked pumpkin puree ¼ cup (65 g) low-fat sour cream ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper Slices of lemon and chopped cilantro for garnish (optional) Preparation: - Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, bay leaf, and thyme; simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. - Stir in the pumpkin. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. - Blend the soup with a food processor or blender and return it to the saucepan. Add the sour cream and heat gently. Adjust salt and pepper, and add water if it thickens too much. Garnish with lemon and cilantro just before serving. Per serving: calories: 131 protein: 7 g fat: 9 g (including 3 g saturated fat) cholesterol: 10 mg carbohydrates: 16 g fiber: 4 g sodium: 831 mg Recommended pumpkin recipes: - Pumpkin Soup with Cumin - Corn, Chipotle, and Pumpkin Soup - Pumpkin Flower Soup - Pumpkin Pie