Leading up to Thanksgiving, I was really trying to be thoughtful about what I was eating. I wanted to be able to enjoy my holiday meal (and dessert!) but I also didn’t want to throw away all the hard work I’d been doing to get myself into better shape.
I knew starving myself wouldn’t be the answer (it never is) but I also knew I needed to be extra aware of the ingredients I was using. I saw this one on CBS’s “Sunday Morning” and immediately knew I had to have it. Luckily, I have the Mesa Grill cookbook, so it was a done deal.
I wouldn’t say this soup is the ultimate in healthiness, but it isn’t exactly bad for you, either. The molasses and honey do bring up the sugar content, but pumpkin is a great source of fiber, beta-carotene, potassium, and zinc. Plus, the pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds used in the garnish are good for you, too! I’d say it was a good compromise between feeling indulgent and being mindful of nutrition. It also comes together in a flash, which is always nice on a busy weeknight. I’ll definitely be having it again this winter.
Mesa Grill’s Pumpkin Soup
adapted from Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Cookbook
Ingredients:
4 c. chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
3 c. pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (Mexican canela, if you can find it), divided
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. freshly-grated nutmeg
2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP maple syrup
2 tsp. finely minced chipotle peppers in adobo (1 large or 2 small peppers)
3/4 c. crema, creme fraiche, light sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c. roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), for garnish
1/2 c. pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Directions:
1. Bring stock to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
2. Whisk in pumpkin, one tsp. cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, honey, maple syrup, and chipotle. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
3. Remove soup from the heat and whisk in 1/4 c. cream or sour cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Mix together the remaining crema or sour cream wit the remaining one tsp. cinnamon.
5. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle or dollop the cinnamon cream over the soup, then garnish with pumpkin and pomegranate seeds.
one year ago: The kickoff to my Twelve Treats of Christmas—peppermint bark.
This looks delicious! I love pumpkin soup.
When I'm judging a recipe for it healthfulness, I mostly focus on the ratio of vegetables to saturated fat. That means that the crema is the only bad thing in this recipe, and since it's easily replaced by greek yogurt, you've got yourself a perfectly healthy soup!
gotta love a pumpkin soup…should really get around to making one before they are out of season 🙂
This is a healthy soup and I like that you garnish your pumpkin soup with pomegranate.
This looks perfect. Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful soup. Love the flavors that are mixed together. The garnish is quite lovely as well.
Ohh, pumpkin soup sounds very tasty! I love different kinds of soups, especially now when I'm in Sweden and the temperature drops down to minus 15 (Celsius of course). Greetings from Sweden!
I have eaten at Mesa Grill and I loved it! Bobby's recipes are truly enchanting! I bet this one is no exception!
You had me at Pumpkin and POMegrante. As a dietitian, I look for the use of mainly WHOLE FOODS (not the grocery store), foods in their most natural state. You've got a powerhouse of nutrition in this lil soup! Can't wait to make it! The only adjustment I might make is use low-sodium broth/stock out of habit really.
This looks great! I have a number of pumpkins and feel I need to make something with some of them soon. This is a great segue from the Thanksgiving flavors into a delicious cold weather soup. Thanks for the timely and beautiful post!
I love the Mesa Grill!! One of my all time favorite restaurants, but I've never had this soup. Love the colorful pom seeds on top. Nicely done! Congrats on the upcoming wedding, you have no idea how fast 100 day can go!
Love this and bookmarked! I featured you in my weekly post, A weekly serving of WC here: http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/11/weekly-serving-11272010.html
yum! i am such a fan of pumpkin soup and this recipe looks great!
Kim, thank you for the sweet comment. I know these 100 days will be over before I even know it!
I just wanted to tell you I tried my hand at making this soup. It was incredible even though I had a kitchen blunder happen. It will definitely get a redo next year! You should check out my blog since it gives a BIG shout out to you and your blog! Thank you for the recipe!!!
I had this soup at Mesa Grill in Vegas 2 weeks ago. It is simply amazing. One of the best, if not the best, soups I've ever had. I'm so looking forward to making it!