Intro to Cooking: Thanksgiving Pumpkin Soup

By Michelle

Who doesn’t love pumpkin pie!? Almost everyone I know gets excited every year for pumpkin pie and it usually has to do with the filling. No one gets overjoyed for pie crust. Ever since I can remember, I ate squash soup — of every shape and variety — leading up to Thanksgiving, but never a pumpkin soup. Why not? It’s easy to make and tastes like you are eating a bowl of pumpkin pie filling. Um, yes please.

Pumpkin is also super healthy for you. It is very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is also a fantastic source of vitamins E, A, C and K, as well as iron, potassium and dietary fiber. So you can have your cake pie and eat it too! The best part about this recipe? You make it in the microwave!

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Soup 

You’ll need… 

• 1 large, microwave safe bowl
• 1 can (15 oz) of pumpkin puree
• about 1/2 cup of cream (or you can use just half-and-half or just milk to make it healthier)
• about 1-2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
• about 1 tsp of chili powder (you can omit this if you aren’t a fan of sweet-and-a-little-spicy!)

How to make it… 

Open your can of pumpkin puree and scrape into the microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 30-45 seconds just to heat up. Remove from the microwave and add cream a little bit at a time. Stir as you add it. You just want to think the puree out to a soup-like consistency (still thick, but not… that thick).

Once you’ve added enough cream, cover with a paper towel or even a plate and return to the microwave. Microwave for another 3-4 minutes or until hot, stopping occasionally to stir the soup. About half way through, add pumpkin pie spice and chili powder. Continue heating.

When heated through completely, remove from the microwave and serve. Yummy!

Note: This soup lasts for about 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!