Fall Pumpkin and Veggies Soup

IT IS PUMPKIN SEASON! What screams fall more than pumpkin?

I'm so addicted to it. It is one of the most versatile veggies ever (although it is technically a fruit, but who cares?)

The main character of this soup is the Delica/Kabocha/Japanese pumpkin, it has many names but it remains the most tolerated by us IBS fellows. How can we not love it? Some love it in their cappuccino, some in their pie, and for me, my favorite uses are making chips, risotto, and soups. So stay tuned!

This soup that I make is the forever favorite of my dear friend Swetha. She's from the US and begs for it when she visits me. She first tried it after a day we spent walking in the snow in the Alps, and that's exactly what we needed after a freezing winter day.

When I'm super lazy, I cook a whole pumpkin in the oven so I don't have to bother to cut it open and make a disaster in my kitchen. I then use the pulp in my recipes and freeze the rest to use for another time.

In this case, I decided to dice it, along with the rest of the ingredients, to obtain a bit more textured rather than a creamy soup. I don't usually peel a pumpkin as I think the skin tastes amazing, and it would be just a waste of great and nutritious food.

I then added a couple of tomatoes I had left in the fridge, 3 carrots, and a small can of peas. On my reintroduction phase of the low FODMAP diet, my gastroenterologist gave me, I learned that I could handle a small number of peas, but you can use any other legume you can tolerate or skip this step.

I like to make a large amount of soup so I can reheat it during the following nights.
I then add some carbs the same night. It can be rice, grains, or orzo pasta.

I hope it will warm your heart as it did for Swetha and me!

Buon appetito!

Makes: 6 servings
Serving size: a plate each
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients for fall pumpkin and veggies soup:

• 10 oz of japanese pumpkin
• 5 oz of carrots
• 4 oz of tomatoes
• 3 oz of canned peas
• 4 cups of water (I usually fully cover the veggies in order to get a thick consistency)
• 1 spoon of extra vergin olive oil per plate
• As extra, rice or grains that I cook when before eating (about 2 oz per person)
• Grated parmigiano to taste
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions for fall pumpkin and veggies soup:

1. Put the water to boil
2. Wash all the veggies and cut into dices
3. Keep the peas on a side
4. Add the veggies in the pot
5. Add about a teaspoon of salt and add more later if needed (I don't put a lot of salt usually, so taste it!)
6. Add a scrunch of pepper
7. Add the peas to the mix after 30 minutes
8. Let it cook for another 10 minutes minutes
9. Once ready, most of the pumpking should have melted and created a creamy consistency as a base
10. As an extra, add your carb and cook it for the time required
11. Add grated parmigiano on top and the fresh olive oil