Did you know raw pumpkin seeds are actually good for you? I only found out when I was looking for more ways to add protein into my life. I’ve tended to mostly roast my seeds before eating, but it’s not necessary at all. Straight from the pumpkin, these little pale seeds also have iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and magnesium. Don’t throw away those seeds when you’re carving up your pumpkins this year – get them in your bellies somehow. You can use them in soups, salads, sandwiches, porridge, cereal, pasta and even curries and stews.
I like to add seeds at the end for extra crunch. I haven’t tried adding them at the cooking stage, but I’ll be trying that over the next week before Halloween. We’ve ended up with far too much pumpkin to use…
- 460g Pumpkin, peeled, chopped.
- 100g Onion, diced.
- 130g Leek, chopped.
- 2 Vegetable Stock Cubes.
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Peppercorns. I used rainbow peppercorns.
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg.
- Salt & Pepper to Taste.
- Water.
- Saute your onions in a little oil if you wish. I didn't this time round, as I was in a bit of a hurry.
- Add all your ingredients, apart from the stock cubes to the soupmaker.
- Top up with water, to above the minimum and below the maximum levels.
- Crumble the stock cubes over the top, and mix well with a wooden spoon.
- Make sure your lid in on properly.
- Choose the smooth setting.
- At the end of the cycle, I used my blend setting for another 10 seconds to purée the soup even more. Pumpkin can need a little longer to break down than other vegetables.
I love me some pumpkin soup!! I had no idea about being able to eat the seeds raw though, makes life a bit easier! Feel free to share this recipe on our healthy halloween recipe link up this week. I think our readers would love it! 🙂