Every Sunday I make a big batch of soup and pack it in individual containers to grab for lunch all week. Investing this small amount of time on the weekend saves me a ton of time during the week. It also ensures I have a healthy meal ready when I’m short on time or lacking motivation to cook.
This recipe is a favorite because it’s full of flavor and provides a daily dose of turmeric.
Let’s talk ingredients.
Turmeric is an Indian spice that has gotten a lot of attention for its potential to prevent cancer growth. Specifically, curcumin, the yellow pigment in turmeric, is the anti-cancer component that has demonstrated health benefits in thousands of studies. Research has shown that curcumin can prevent DNA damage that leads to cancer growth as well as promote cancer cell death. Dr. Michael Greger discusses turmeric extensively in his book How Not to Die and even recommends a daily regimen of 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric. This soup provides exactly 1/4 of a teaspoon of turmeric with each serving. ?
Any leafy greens work well in this recipe. I like using rainbow chard, but I’ve also used kale, spinach or beet greens. Leafy greens are arguably the most healthy foods on the planet in terms of nutrient density. They pack a huge nutritional punch (lots of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients), while being low in calories. Whenever you can add leafy greens into a recipe – like soup! – , do it!
Adding a can of pumpkin to any soup not only gives it a rich and creamy consistency, it also adds fiber (good for the gut) and carotenoids, which keeps skin firm , bones strong, and eyes bright! You can add a can of 100% pureed pumpkin to any soup, stew or chili. It doesn’t change the flavor much but adds some valuable nutrition.
This recipe might require a trip to the grocery, but if you’re looking for some variety in your dishes, these ingredients are great to have on hand…
Bragg Liquid Aminos is an all-purpose seasoning and can be found in most grocery stores by the soy sauce. You could use soy sauce or tamari in its place.
Miso paste is fermented soybeans, meaning it contains live cultures, AKA probiotics. These are great for keeping your gut microbiome healthy! It’s found in the refrigerated section, usually by other refrigerated condiments. It seems to be cheapest at oriental grocery stores. If you don’t have it, you can leave it out, although it does add some good flavor and those valuable probiotics.
Plant-Based Turmeric Squash Soup
Equipment
- Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 2 red onions diced
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 large sweet potato cubed
- 1 can pureed pumpkin
- 3 cans garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp tumeric
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp miso paste
- 2 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 3 cups leafy greens chopped
Instructions
- Peel butternut squash (a potato peeler works well for this). Next, cut the butternut squash in half (longways) and scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon. Cut squash into about 1" cubes.
- Add all ingredients except leafy greens to a large pot over medium/high heat, stir and cover. When soup begins to simmer, turn heat to low and let cook for 1 hour.
- Stir in chopped leafy greens and stir. Once leafy greens wilt, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Let the soup cool and then put it in a freezer safe container for a quick and easy freezer meal.
- Any leafy greens work well in this recipe. I like using rainbow chard but I've also used kale, spinach or beet greens.
- This recipe might require a trip to the grocery, but if you're looking for some variety in your dishes these are great to have on hand.
- Bragg Liquid Aminos is an all-purpose seasoning and can be found in most grocery stores by the soy sauce. You can replace it with soy sauce or tamari.
- Miso paste is refrigerated and usually found by other refrigerated condiments. It seems to be cheapest at oriental grocery stores.
Nutrition
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Making this one today. I have had a squash for way too long! Am I supposed to peel it, or just dice and throw it in whole?
Hi Rachel! Good question – you should peel it and remove the seeds & stringy pulp inside. I’ve updated the instructions so it should be much clearer now!