As the seasons change so does our food preferences and this reflects back to what is available or “in season”. Summer is all about what’s fresh, raw fruits & vegetables and BBQ’s. As fall rolls around and the temperatures become cooler our bodies crave soup, warmth and comfort. This Pumpkin & Split Pea Soup recipe is perfect for fall because pumpkins are in season and cooked pumpkin provides so much nutrition.
Pumpkin contains immune boosting beta-carotene (vitamin A), it is a great source of vitamin E & C, it is a great source of anti-oxidants and fibre. Fibre helps with the body’s natural detoxification process and helping with blood sugar balance.
Eating seasonally has many benefits the first is that the food typically tastes better, think of fresh tomatoes locally grown in the summer, they taste very different than the tomatoes you can buy at the grocery store in the summer. When fruits and vegetables are ripened naturally and picked when they have ripened on a vine or harvested at the right time it has so much more flavour and nutrients. Who doesn’t want food that tastes better and has a higher nutritional value??
The second benefit is that eating seasonally is usually most cost effective and easier for the budget and reduces your carbon footprint. That is one of my biggest tips for keeping your grocery bill lower is to eat seasonally or what’s on sale that week. When there is an abundance of certain produce because the crop is in season the cost goes down. Check out what’s in season in chart below.
The last benefit I will share today is that it supports your body’s natural nutritional needs. Winter veggies offer comfort and root veggies are perfect for hot meals, healthy soups, stews, casseroles etc. Summer foods such fresh fruit and veg provide us with nutrients that help protect against sun damage, give us energy for the longer summer day and make a delish cool meal like a salad when it’s too hot to cook.
Check out what’s in season this fall this info was from the Food network see link below. When you are creating your weekly menus try and use more ingredients from the list below and enjoy fall foods.
What’s in Season in Fall
We end our big season on a high note with pumpkin, leeks, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, crabapples and the continuation from August of muskmelon and grapes. We begin to crave in-season apples and pears, and as cool weather approaches so does the need for warmer dishes. Back indoors, get set for roasting, holiday feasting and all of the apple desserts.
What’s in Season in September:
Cranberries, Apples, Crab Apples, Blueberries, Grapes, Melons, Pears, Plums, Prunes, Artichokes, Green Beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Swiss Chard, Corn, Cucumber, Garlic (Fresh), Leeks, Lettuce, Green Onions, Onions, Parsnips, Peppers, Potatoes (New), Pumpkin, Radishes, Rutabagas, Salad Greens, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips, Zucchini, Beets, Eggplants, Nectarines, Watermelon, Kale,
What’s in Season in October:
Cranberries, Apples, Crab Apples, Pears, Quince, Artichokes, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Swiss Chard, Corn, Garlic (Fresh), Leeks, Lettuce, Green Onions, Onions, Parsnips, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rutabagas, Salad Greens, Spinach, Turnips, Beets, Eggplants, Kale
What’s in Season in November:
Cranberries, Pears, Quince, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rutabagas, Turnips, Apples, Beets
https://www.foodnetwork.ca/in-season/blog/whats-in-season-in-canada/
Pumpkin is in season in October so I am sharing lots of healthy delish recipes that contain pumpkin, cranberries (did you get the cranberry and kale stuff squash recipe in my October Newsletter?? if not send me a message and I will share with you), apples, pears, cabbage (check out the detox stew recipe on the blog it’s loaded with cabbage), beets (my fav root veg) and eggplant (have you made the eggplant parm from my cookbook yet?) Today I am excited to share one of my fav fall soups, this recipe is also in my cookbook as well. If you want more awesome recipes like this you can grab your copy here: https://pamrocca.com/products/prep-with-pam
The Recipe
PrintPumpkin & Split Pea Soup
Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 cups yellow split peas
2 cups peeled, seeded and diced pumpkin or pumpkin puree
½ diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
6-8 cups vegetable broth
dash salt and pepper
Directions
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Rinse and pick over the yellow split peas and soak overnight in clear water.
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Saute the onions and garlic in avocado oil in a large, pot. Add the soaked split peas, vegetable stock, cooked pumpkin, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the peas are soft.
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Allow the soup to cool. Adjust the seasoning and reheat and serve with a little vegan cream sauce and nutmeg sprinkled on top.
Note – Sometimes I don’t remember to soak split peas overnight and this recipe still works, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Soup is done when peas are soft.
Soups are one of my fav meals to include in my Sunday meal prep sessions because you can literally toss all ingredients in a pot and let it simmer. In fact sometimes I get two pots going for a whole lot of yummy, hearty meals. I hope you love this soup recipe as much as our family does!
If you make this recipe I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. As always sharing is caring, if you know someone who would love this recipe I would so appreciate you sharing it with them. Make sure to tag me on social when you try this recipe out.
Happy Meal Prep Sunday,
