Caribbean Pumpkin Soup (diabetes-friendly)
February 26, 2019
Ingredients Makes 7 servings
| 1 tbsp | vegetable oil | 15 mL |
| 1 cup | chopped onion | 250 mL |
| 1 cup | finely chopped green cabbage | 250 mL |
| 1⁄2 cup | finely chopped celery | 125 mL |
| 2 | bay leaves | 2 |
| 2 lbs | Caribbean pumpkin, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes | 1 kg |
| 4 | cloves garlic, minced | 4 |
| 1 tsp | finely chopped fresh thyme | 5 mL |
| 1⁄8 tsp | cayenne pepper | 0.5 mL |
| 1 tbsp | chopped fresh parsley | 15 mL |
| 1 tsp | salt | 5 mL |
| 1⁄4 tsp | freshly ground black pepper | 1 mL |
| 5 cups | water | 1.25 L |
Instructions
Prep
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 50 minutes
- Blender, food processor or immersion blender
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, cabbage, celery and bay leaves; cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add pumpkin, garlic, thyme and cayenne; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
- Stir in parsley, salt, black pepper and water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
- Working in batches, transfer soup to blender (or use immersion blender in pot) and purée to desired consistency (see tip). Return to pot, if necessary, and reheat over medium heat, stirring often, until steaming.
Caribbean pumpkin, also known as calabaza or Jamaican pumpkin, is a variety of tropical squash used widely in Caribbean and Latin American cuisine. It is a dense, bright orange pumpkin with a smooth texture and intense, sweet flavor. Pumpkin is an excellent source of beta carotene.
If you cannot find Caribbean pumpkin, substitute butternut squash.
When blending hot liquids in an upright blender, fill the blender no more than half full, leave the center hole in the lid open and cover the hole with a towel. Hold down the towel and the lid while the blender is running, allowing steam to be released.
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