I am a massive fan of soups in the cooler months, they warm you right to your soul, but even better is the ability to get heaps of hidden veges into your kids (and adults!). Wherever I can, I will always add bone broth to meals for its amazing gut healing properties and flavour.
Benefits of bone broth include:
- It is rich in minerals and high in protein
- It contains a range of amino acids which can assist in the reduction of inflammation, and can strengthen bones, joints and muscles
- Contains collagen, which is beneficial tot he gut lining, supporting digestion and repairing of the gut wall.
- It is beneficial to the skin due to its high collagen content, with studies shown it may improve the signs of ageing and cellulite
- It helps feed the good bacteria in the gut
- Is beneficial to the immune system due to its effect on the gut lining. When leaky gut is an issue, bone broth can assist with tightening the open junctions in the gut lining, preventing the delivery of toxins directly into the blood stream.
If I haven’t made my own, I use this one by Nutra Organics. It’s a powder and you just add it to water to create your “stock” and you’re good to go.
Did you know too, that pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B2 and vitamin E? Not to mention its sweet flavour and creamy texture.
By far though the stars in this soup are the spices. Nothing screams Morocco more than cumin, ginger, and turmeric. Spices have been used in cooking since the ancient times and have many medicinal properties. Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, ginger is warming and nourishing to the digestive system and cumin is a rich source of iron.
Overall, this recipe is a simple, tasty and super healthy regular on our winter menu.
Ingredients
1 medium size butternut pumpkin, peeled, and chopped into chunks
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced fine
3cm piece of ginger, diced finely
1 medium sweet potato, chopped into chunks
400g of chicken breast, chopped into quarters
1 L of filtered water
3 tablespoons of bone broth powder (alternatively you can make a litre of stock if you don’t have bone broth)
150mls of coconut cream
1-2 tablespoons of curry powder (depending on personal taste)
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of turmeric powder (or the equivalent of fresh chopped finely)
1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil
What’s next?….
1- Place onion, ginger, garlic and oil into a large saucepan and saute’ until softened. Add spices and cook till fragrant.
2- Add pumpkin, sweet potato, water and bone broth (or stock if using) and chicken to the saucepan and bring to the boil.
3- Once boiling, reduce to simmer and cook until pumpkin and sweet potato are tender and and chicken is cooked through.
4- Remove chicken from the saucepan and place on a chopping board. Add the tinned chickpeas to the saucepan.
5- Shred the chicken until fine and return to the saucepan with the coconut cream.
6- Stir to combine before removing from the heat.
7- Using a food processor or stick blender, blend the soup to desired consistency.
8- Season with salt and pepper.
9- We served this with lightly toasted flat bread and lashings of butter.
ENJOY!!