Pumpkin season brings back fond memories for many of us. Whether it’s carving a Halloween pumpkin with our families,  scooping out the pumpkin seeds and roasting them or having pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, pumpkins are versatile to cook with and delicious. They also contain many nutrients.

Pumpkin seeds –whether eaten as a seed or ground into pumpkin seed powder- are rich in vitamins A, K, B3 and folate.

Nuts and seeds, including those of pumpkins, are naturally rich in plant-based chemicals called phytosterols. Studies have shown that they help reduce LDL or “bad” cholesterol.[1]

Pumpkin seeds also contain minerals such as manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium, and zinc. These healthy seeds contain a lot of protein too.[2] They’re good for your heart, and the zinc in them helps promote immunity

And what about the pumpkin itself?  It’s also a powerhouse of nutrition.

Pumpkins are low in calories, high in antioxidants, and rich in Vitamin A and C. The fiber, potassium, and vitamin C content in pumpkin all support heart health and are great for muscle recovery. Pumpkins are an easily digestible source of potassium, vitamins, minerals and beta-carotene.

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Pumpkin seeds can be ground into pumpkin seed powder. Ever heard of pumpkin flour? That’s dehydrated pumpkin meal ground into a flour. Pumpkin flour is a sweet and delicious gluten-free flour perfectly suited to replace all-purpose flour. Both are wonderful to cook with in breads, pancakes, cookies, cakes, muffins, waffles, or smoothies for an extra boost of nutrition and flavor.

An easy way to get the benefits of pumpkin is by using Levana Nourishments. All of our flavors, except mushroom, include pumpkin meal or pumpkin seed flour.  Here’s a quick and easy soup to prepare using our Garden Vegetable flavor and nature’s bounty of pumpkins.

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Serves 8

 Ingredients

• 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 pouches Levana Nourishments Garden Vegetable                                                      
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil                                                                         
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2-3 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/3 cup brown sugar or sucanat, or honey
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 28-oz cans all-natural pumpkin puree (health-food stores)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 4 scallions, sliced very thin
• 4 sprigs cilantro, tough ends removed, minced

Procedure                                                                                                                                         

Bring the first set of ingredients to a boil in a wide bottom pot. Reduce the heat to medium and whisk in the pumpkin and peanut butter, and cook 5 more minutes. Turn off the flame, and stir in the scallions and cilantro. Adjust the texture and seasonings. Serve hot or chilled.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10625028

[2] http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=82