October 24, 2014 | By: Stephanie Quesada How It Works
Pumpkin Soup to Go! Mason Jar Meal Recipes
by Stephanie Quesada for REACH
The so called 'Ber-months give us cold weather most of the time, especially when it rains and the chill drafts cause colds and flu to no end. It helps a lot when we have a sweater or a warm blanked to cover ourselves and avoid drafts that can cause stress. But the best is when we have some hot, delicious soup to to warm ourselves!
One of my favorite soups to serve and slurp is Pumpkin or Squash soup. It’s delicious AND filling, definitely nutricious, and ultimately, easy to make. Soup is also one of the best things to make for lunch and bringing your lunch in glass jars, or Mason jars to be exact, is one of the nicest things to have when preparing food for a stretch of several meals. You just store what you make in the fridge then use them up as the days come by, having more time for yourself if you cook your food in batches and store several Mason Jar meals in the ref.
All you need for a full serving is half a small pumpkin or squash, 1 cup chicken stock or a boullion,Some salt and pepper, a cup of all-purpose cream, and whatever vegetable or meat you’d like to include. For my own personal preference, I’d recommend some garlic and onions, spinach or malunggay leaves, mushrooms, and a few meatballs for some meaty texture.
Chop your Pumpkin or Squash and Veggies
Sautee the Garlic and Onions and other vegetables in low heat
First, chop all the ingredients to your desired size. Before you start with the soup itself, it would help if you saute the garlic and onions and other vegetables it very low heat, and cook the meat first. If you have a double boiler, you can do this while you boil the chopped pumpkin/squash until it is soft enough to mash with a fork. It may take a few minutes, but the softer it is, the better.
Mash the cooked squash or pumpkin once cooked before mixing in with other soup ingredients
Add the water and bring to a slow boil over low heat to cook the soup evenly
If you have a food processor or blender, it would be much easier to mash the pumpkin once it’s ready. Strain the pumpkin first and Just add about 1/3 cup of the residual water, some salt and pepper on the blender/food processor, and blend until smooth. If you don’t have these appliances, you can still mash the squash/pumpkin by hand with a potato masher or a fork.
It might not turn out to be as smooth as instant soup or canned soup, but those chunky bits add character and texture that make the soup better. Heat
up the stove to medium, and pour over the mashed squash/pumpkin, the
cup of chicken stock or the boullion and 1 cup water, and tossed
veggies and meat. Stir a while to mix all the ingredients, and then add
the all-purpose cream and mix thoroughly.
Find one or several NICE Mason Jars for all of your Food Recipes to Go
What’s neat about soup is that you can make a lot of variations from time to time. Put some chopped broccoli, asparagus and minced beef for an awesome alternative, or how about diced zucchini, eggplant and some tuna for a fresh yet tasty meal but with less calories.
Soup's Up! Enjoy a fine meal anywhere with simple recipes and a Mason Jar to carry your food.
