Spicy pumpkin-turnip soup with paprika and curry

The spicy pumpkin and turnip soup with paprika and curry is easy to make and does not require any added oil.

Quantity: The specified quantity for 6 people yields approximately 3 ½ litres of soup.

Nutrient profile: The recipe is a low-calorie soup with 164 kcal per portion. According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this dish provides over 100% of vitamin C. It also provides around 40% of the essential trace element manganese and folic acid. However, some of the heat-sensitive ingredients such as vitamin C and folic acid are lost during the cooking process, which slightly reduces the amount per portion. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 3:1, which is below the maximum recommended ratio of 5:1.
You can find further information on this topic at the following link: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors .

Butternut squash: The butternut squash has a relatively thin skin and a high proportion of tender, light orange flesh, which has a buttery, slightly nutty aroma. It has a high beta-carotene content, which is good for skin, hair and eyesight. 100 g of butternut squash cover around 80% of the daily beta-carotene requirement. It also contains plenty of vitamin C. Compared to other types of squash, it contains relatively high calories, but hardly any fat. Incidentally, butternut squash can also be eaten raw, for example cut into fine strips or grated into a salad or processed into a smoothie.

Swede: In Germany, traditionally only the yellow-fleshed root tubers, which weigh up to 1.5 kg, are used in cooking, while the white-fleshed ones are used as fodder turnips. In addition to carbohydrates, swedes also contain large amounts of vitamin C, beta carotene and calcium. However, the tuber consists mainly of water, is therefore almost fat-free and is considered a low-calorie vegetable.

Ginger: Ginger has an aromatic smell and a characteristic burning, sharp and spicy taste, which it owes mainly to gingerol. Ginger is said to have various healing effects, such as antibacterial, antiviral and antiemetic (against nausea) effects. Ginger also promotes blood circulation and increases bile production.

Black mustard: The ripe and dried, intensely fragrant seeds are used primarily in Indian cuisine. They are usually roasted in ghee or oil beforehand. The mustard seeds give the dish a slight spiciness, which is, however, very different from the taste of creamy mustard. Like all cruciferous seeds, mustard seeds contain oil, which in black mustard is around 30%, with a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. Mustard seeds have a stimulating effect on digestion.

Reduce salt and oil: We have deliberately left out oil for health reasons and reduced salt by using extra low-salt vegetable broth. You can find more information on this topic in our book, which we describe in detail: "Salt Sugar Fat" by Michael Moss.

Hokkaido pumpkin is also suitable instead of butternut squash. Hokkaido pumpkin has a more intense orange color and tastes a little spicier and less sweet.

Color: in addition to the type of pumpkin, the color of a variety is not always the same. The color of the flesh of the butternut squash ranges from pale yellow to orange.

Spiciness: The soup has a certain spiciness due to the chili powder and ginger. If you don't like it spicy, it's best to leave out the chili powder for now and add more seasoning at the end as needed.