Squash may just be the perfect cold-weather food. Warm, soft, comforting, and flavorful, it seems there’s little that winter squash can’t do. And though it fills the stomach (and the soul) so impressively, squash is surprisingly low in calories and high in nutrients, making it the perfect addition to a clean diet.
Speaking of clean diets, or lack thereof, today just happens to be the day after Halloween, and honestly just being around all the candy last night still gives me the shakes. To get back to a place of balance, I whipped up a quick batch of Detox Pumpkin Soup — a simple soup recipe I put together recently that uses Navitas Organic’s new Detox Superfood Boost. The boost has a slightly gingery flavor to it, which is perfect for soups, and I love that it’s so rich in functional ingredients like chia, wheatgrass, milk thistle, and probiotics. As for the “pumpkin,” I’m actually using a Japanese Pumpkin called a “Kabocha” squash, because it has approximately a billion times more flavor than a regular pumpkin — it’s truly my favorite squash! And with this soup being so creamy and so simple to prepare, something tells me it’s going to be an absolute staple this season.
Detox Pumpkin Soup
Although you can use virtually any kind of squash here, I love kabocha pumpkin the most for its sweet flavor. Adding the Detox Boost at the end of cooking ensures its potent nutrients stay intact for this extremely health-giving soup!
Makes 6 cups / Serves 4
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
½ White Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 inches fresh Ginger root, peeled and minced
4 cups Kabocha Squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 quart Vegetable Broth
1 scoop Navitas Organics Detox Boost*
1 Tbsp fresh Lime Juice
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup canned coconut milk, for serving (optional)
Ground pink peppercorns, for garnish (optional)
Warm the coconut oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 1 mintue longer, stirring constantly. Add the squash, bay leave, cayenne, and the vegetable broth, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and ladle into a blender. Add the Detox Boost, and lime juice, and blend until completely smooth. Adjust salt and pepper if desired. To serve, ladle into bowls and lightly swirl with coconut milk and ground pink pepper.
*In place of the boost, you can also use a little freshly grated ginger, and add a touch of maple syrup, to taste. This will help match the flavor, although the soup will not be as rich in detoxifying benefits.
