by Noor H. Salem

If you’ve only experienced tasting pumpkin in store-bought pie, you’re truly missing out on many beneficial and tasty treats. While pumpkin is readily prepared in desserts, it’s especially delicious in savory foods alike.

Although butternut squash is delicious unaccompanied, adding in pumpkin boosts the nutritional value of it, while additionally impressing your taste-buds. Moreover, pumpkin is one of the extraordinarily healthy sunnah superfoods I cover in my book, Sunnah Superfoods. You can find its health benefits, best methods of purchasing and storing it, and unique recipes as well.

Pumpkin and butternut squash are both remarkably high in vitamin A, potassium, dietary fiber, and other key nutrients. They are naturally sweet, and incorporating them into soup creates a savory and sweet twist that’ll leave your taste buds and carvings satisfied. Pumpkin in and of itself is an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, anti-inflammatory benefits, and many essential minerals. Whether you’re trying to eat natural sweets, or are hoping to boost your beta-carotene intake, both pumpkin and butternut squash are wonderful choices.

Surprisingly to many, organic grass-fed butter is in fact remarkably healthy. Butter is another food covered deeply in my book; recently it has been advised by holistic practitioners to put butter back on your plate. Evidently, lab-made butter replacement spreads and sticks can in no way or form be placed on the same pedestal as the natural version. Organic butter is a healthy fat, and can improve your cognitive health, digestive health, and heart health. It’s essential that you aim to purchase organic butter, as the conventional counterpart comes along with traces of antibiotics and genetically modified feed from the livestock. Moreover, butter has a high smoke point, making it suitable for baking or cooking food on high heat without destroying the health benefits. With that being said, feel comfortable using butter in your foods, and try to get the genetically modified oils or spreads out of your kitchen.

This pumpkin soup is kids-approved, and is a remarkable way to boost their vegetable intake. You can replace the pumpkin with additional stock, or vice versa, if they’re not easily accessible. The spices can be added or omitted depending on your taste buds; nonetheless, try to incorporate ginger and turmeric into your diet for incredible health benefits. Both ginger and turmeric carry unique anti-inflammatory compounds, and could reduce joint pain or muscle aches. Ginger aids in reducing morning sickness, indigestion, and even more serious invaders that could cause your flu to last. Turmeric alike carries wonderful healing properties, and could improve your cognitive, digestive, and heart health. While spices are commonly used to add taste to food, unknowingly to many, they add a myriad of health benefits.

Garnish your soup with freshly chopped parsley and pumpkin seeds, and drizzle for extra virgin olive oil for an increase of vitamin K, fiber, vitamin C, zinc, iron, healthy fats, and protein. Enjoy this soup on a cold day with homemade baked bread, or aside a kale salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons organic grass-fed butter
• 2 cups butternut squash, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
• 6 cups water
• 1 tablespoon ginger, ground
• 1 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek, ground
• 1 ½ teaspoons black peppercorns, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed, ground
• ½ teaspoon red cayenne pepper, ground
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, roasted
• Extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Sautee the onion and garlic with the organic grass-fed butter in a deep pot for 3-5 minutes
2. Add the butternut squash and spices; allow to cook for about seven minutes, or until the butternut squash softens up.
3. Add the water and pumpkin; stir. Allow to simmer for 12-15 minutes.
4. Transfer the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley, pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

Noor H. Salem is an author, speaker, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, from Michigan. Noor works with clients in better understanding their bodies and healing with natural foods through her wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition. She presents various workshops, school lectures, group coaching classes, and community lectures on the topic of holistic health. Noor recently published her book, SUNNAH SUPERFOODS, a culmination of life-changing recipes and remedies, with a foreword by Dr. Waleed Basyouni. Her book consists of prophetic hadith, modern research, and delicious recipes, and is in the process of being translated into other languages.