Om om om.
I mean…really.
That is a good-looking soup.
For years now I’ve been making my mom’s butternut squash soup as often as possible the second that the air starts to get chilly…but this year I thought I’d try something different to serve to our friends for one of the last outdoor dinners of the season. Besides being seasonally thematic and delicious, pumpkin has the added benefit of being an excellent addition to your beauty regimen – it contains enzymes and alpha hydroxy acids that increase cell turnover to brighten up skin, as well as Vitamins A and C to boost collagen production and prevent the signs of aging.
This soup is my own recipe, but if you’re in the market for more skin-healthy meals check out nutritionist Ellie Krieger’s suggestions over on the Simple Skincare page (I’ve made her Cherry-Almond Chocolate Clusters, and they’re easy and great).
1 quart vegetable (or chicken) broth
2 large cans pumpkin (of course you can also roast your own and scoop out the flesh, but that is wayyyy too much work for me, and honestly: I’ve eaten pumpkin soup both ways, and I honestly can’t tell the difference when it comes to taste)
1/3 cup real maple syrup
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup heavy cream
To serve: Toasted pine nuts, extra cream, fresh parsley.
Start by pouring your stock into a heavy-bottomed soup pot.
Next, add the pumpkin…
…and the maple syrup.
(I love my salt shakers.)
Now, throw in your salt and pumpkin pie spice, give the soup a good stir (if you used fresh roasted pumpkin, you’ll need to puree it in batches at this point), and set it over medium-low heat on the stove for about half an hour, stirring it occasionally and watching to make sure that it doesn’t burn.
While the soup is cooking, toast your pine nuts for the garnish; toasting releases both the flavor and scent, and is really worth the extra effort. (Oh yes: and FYI, pine nuts contain Vitamin E and zinc and are also good for your skin.) Just set them on a foil-lined baking sheet and put them in the oven at 375F for a few minutes, shaking them every so often to prevent them from burning.
Stir in your heavy cream and cook the soup another five minutes or so.
Final touch: just garnish with a drizzle of heavy cream, a few toasted pine nuts, and a little sprig of parsley.
Oh my goodness, it’s so delicious.
For more healthy-skin ideas (and personalized skincare recommendations), visit Simple Skincare.com.
Pictured: Noritake Hertford and Rochelle Gold dishes; Kona Wood bowls.
