Meatless Monday: Hearty Fall Soup with Ground Pumpkin Seeds

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a few warm meals. Even if there’s no difference in the temperature outside, flipping the calendar from September to October seems to make fall feel real. Cue rust-tinted leaves, cobwebbed scarecrows, and cravings for soup, stew, and comfort food.

This Meatless Monday, we’re featuring a yam- and tofu-studded soup that pays tribute to one of the best parts of fall: pumpkin seeds! Is there anything better than disemboweling a ripe pumpkin? As a kid, hands goopy and orange-stained from gourd guts, I delighted in peeling seeds from the stringy pulp. And obviously, the best part was roasting them and gobbling up some still-warm kernels.

It’s as easy as (pumpkin) pie to roast the seeds at home, especially with a simple, four-step guide (and one of those steps is preheating the oven …). If using store-bought pumpkin seeds in a recipe or for snacking, look for organic, raw options to make the most of their vitamins, protein, and omega fatty acids.

Will you be using pumpkin in any recipes this fall? Let us know your favourite pumpkin dish—pie, soup, or maybe something totally unique?—in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter.

Hearty Fall Soup with Ground Pumpkin Seeds

From Pamela Durkin’s “Pumpkin Seeds”

1 Tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
4 tofu sausages, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 or 3 small garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 
1 leek, well scrubbed and diced (white and very light green part only)
2 - 19 oz (540 mL) cans low-sodium chopped tomatoes
3 Tbsp (45 mL) low-sodium tomato purée 
1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil
1 1/4 cups (310 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth
1 large yam, peeled and chopped 
1 1/2 cups (350 mL) canned borlotti beans, drained and rinsed well
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups (350 mL) shredded kale
1/4 cup (60 mL) ground pumpkin seeds, shelled

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Cook sausage until lightly browned and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside. Add onion, garlic, and leek to skillet and reduce heat. Stir-fry until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in tomatoes, purée, herbs, and stock and bring to a boil. Add yam and beans—season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat again, cover pot, and simmer until yams are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in kale and sausage and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When yams and kale are both nice and soft, ladle stew into bowls. Top each with ground pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.

Serves 5.

Each serving contains: 330 calories; 22 g protein; 12 g total fat (3 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 36 g total carbohydrates (7 g sugars, 10 g fibre); 419 mg sodium