Cream of Pumpkin Soup Recipe

The bright orange pumpkin is one of those vegetables that is often overlooked for its nutritional quality and often used simply for decoration. The nutritional quality of pumpkins is outstanding with high levels of vitamins A and C and better yet, a great and tasty source of fiber. Pumpkin soup is one of my all time favorite fall recipes, but they can be loaded with calories from cream, maple syrup and other types of sugar.

Pureed pumpkin is the base of this recipe, and you can use either fresh or canned. But I prefer fresh since they are so abundant this time of year. In my simple pumpkin soup recipe I use skim milk instead of cream and flavor it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, thyme and ginger.

For a complete meal toast some walnuts to sprinkle on the top and serve with crusty whole wheat bread.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon thyme
4 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup water
2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. In a large saucepan, sauté onion in olive oil until tender. Add ginger and thyme and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add pumpkin puree and water and continue to heat until thickened.
2. Puree in a food processor and return to sauce pan. Stir in milk and continue to heat until hot but not boiling.
3. Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Serves: 4

Nutrition Content (per serving)
144 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 21 g carbohydrates, 10 g sugars, 3 g fiber, 9 g protein, 167 mg sodium, 280 mg calcium

More Healthy Recipes from That's Fit:
Seafood Gumbo
Comforting Fish Chowder
Turkey Chili

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach, Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!