Forget the flu shot! This year, fight back with food instead! I’m excited to be joining the following 5 amazing bloggers in hosting a 5-week series that will arm you with recipes to stay healthy this season!
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Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger
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Rachel @ Day 2 Day Joys
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Leigh Ann @ Intentional by Grace
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Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker
Come back each Wednesday as we reveal five different foods that are purported to support your immune system in the fight against the cold and flu viruses that run rampant this time of year. What’s more, each post will be opened up to all our readers, who will be linking up their favorite recipes with these key flu-fighting ingredients, so you can get lots of ideas for creative ways to serve them to your family!
Today our featured flu-fighting food (say that five times fast!) is PUMPKIN!
I have always adored pumpkin, even before I knew how incredibly good it was for you. Did you know that pumpkins fall into the category of super food? Yeah, they have some amazing health benefits going for them, as well as the fact that they are delicious!
Why are Pumpkins Considered a Flu-Fighting Food?
Because they are high in carotenoids and Vitamin A which help you maintain a healthy immune system. Consider the following:
Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system, which helps prevent or fight off infections by making white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.Vitamin A also may help lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) fight infections more effectively. -Source
How to Get More Pumpkin in Your Diet
Think outside of the box (or the pie)!
For many years I enjoyed pumpkin pie and occasionally other pumpkin based desserts, but the idea of a savory pumpkin dish never crossed my mind. But a pumpkin is really just like any other squash – delicious in a wide variety of dishes, both sweet and savory! Pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin soup (see below!), pumpkin gratin, hey, even pumpkin pizza, are all great ideas of some pumpkin dishes to get you started!
The recipe that I am sharing with you today is one of my family’s very favorite soups. There is nothing quite like a bowl of this soup on a chilly autumn evening. It’s so flavorful and creamy, and the flavors just meld together so perfectly.
This soup also has the added benefit of including chicken broth, which is also great for your immune system! So with the pumpkin and the chicken broth this is an awesome soup to serve your family in the cold/flu season to keep everyone’s immune systems going strong!
I hope that you enjoy this soup as much as we do!
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
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4 TBSP butter
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1 sweet onion, chopped
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2 celery stalks, chopped
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3 carrots, chopped
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3 garlic cloves, minced
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1 tsp salt
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1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
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1 tsp thyme
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1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
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dash cayenne pepper (optional)
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4 cups homemade chicken broth
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4 cups packed pumpkin puree (I recommend fresh over canned)
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2 TBSP sucanat
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1/2 cup sour cream (or plain full fat yogurt)
Preparation:
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Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until are soft. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
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Add salt, pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes, and cayenne to vegetables. Stir to combine.
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Add chicken broth and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
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Puree soup in small batches in a blender. (Or you could use an immersion blender if you have one.)
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Return soup to saucepan over low heat. Add sucanat and sour cream. Stir to combine.
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Taste and adjust salt and spices as needed.
- Enjoy!
Be sure to check out the great pumpkin recipes and tips shared by the other lovely ladies hosting this series with me. They have some great stuff that you don’t want to miss!
Now it’s your turn! Link up your delicious pumpkin recipes below. Be sure to join us next Wednesday for a BREAKFAST link-up!
There are only two guidelines for participation:
1. Your recipe must include PUMPKIN as an ingredient. Any entry submitted that does not include pumpkin will be deleted.
2. Please link your posts back to one of the hosting blogs. This way your readers can have access to all of the other great pumpkin recipes as well!
This post is also shared at Traditional Tuesday, Fight Back Friday, Pennywise Platter, Tastetastic Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Homemaking Link-Up, Real Food Wednesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, and Gluten-Free Wednesdays.
Oooh, I’m going to try this pumpkin soup recipe next time – sounds so yummy!
Anne @ Quick and Easy Cheap and Healthy recently posted..Fight the Flu with Pumpkin Soup
Thanks, Anne! Yours looks very yummy too
Hope your having fun at Relevant!
Oh this looks so good. I have a pumpkin soup that I make and I think it’ll have to sit out a rotation so I can try this one!
Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger recently posted..Comment on Probiotic Pumpkin-Cran Smoothie by Creamy Pumpkin Soup: A Flu-Fighting Food | The Purposed Heart
All your recipes are always is presented beautifully! And the soup delicious! Not sure if I can get my husband to try this… any suggestions? hehe!
Rachel @ day2day joys recently posted..The Power of the Plentiful Pumpkin
Thanks so much Rachel!
Hmm…not sure about the getting your husband to try it thing? Just tell him it’s really yummy, and he can have dessert if he at least tries it!
haha!
My husband admittedly will eat almost anything, but this really is one of his favorites!
typo.. sorry, skip is in the 1st sentence!
Rachel @ day2day joys recently posted..The Power of the Plentiful Pumpkin
Thanks for hosting! I posted a recipe for curried pumpkin soup
Amanda recently posted..Buying Epazote Guide (Including Where to Buy in Bulk)
Just had to let you know, we made this for our lunch today. The twinagers loved it!! Some sad faces around the table when they realized there was no more soup left. They want to make it again for Friday’s lunch. Ladies, it’s that good!!!
Thank you so much for posting the recipe!!
I’m so glad that you all liked it Carolyn! We love it too, and my husband had the same sad face when he realized ours was all gone too – haha!
Thank you for inviting me to the blog hop. What a lovely blog you have!
Rogene recently posted..An Organic Thanksgiving Planning Guide
Thanks Rogene, and thanks for sharing your recipe!
I have never had pumpkin soup so I believe I will have to give it a try. What a great blog hop you have going here
Mary Hudak-Colllins recently posted..Homemade Applesauce
This looks absolutely delicious, Mindy! I have always seen pumpkin more as a dessert as well, and I look forward to branching out!
Erin@TheHumbledHomemaker recently posted..Probiotic Pumpkin Dip
Thanks so much for inviting me to participate in your pumpkin event Mindy! Your pumpkin soup looks phenomenal! Can’t wait to try it.
Nicole @ Special Diet Creations recently posted..Pumpkin Spice Pudding (gluten, grain, dairy, egg, soy and refined sugar free)
Thanks, Nicole. I’m so glad that you shared your recipe!
This soup looks really good – never made pumpkin soup before, but want to try this! I’m hosting a weekly blog carnival specifically for soups, stocks and chowders, every Sunday. I would love it if you would come over and post this recipe. Here’s a link with more info.
http://easynaturalfood.com/2011/10/17/introducing-sunday-night-soup-night/
I hope to see you there!
Debbie
Thanks for linking up at A Little Nosh this week!
Amy @ A Little Nosh recently posted..Tastetastic Thursday #6
Thanks for this! I love pumpkin! Visit me at http://raisingdieter.blogspot.com/ for a healthy pumpkin pie that is allergy friendly