Pumpkin Fall Harvest Soup- gluten free and vegan

This light savory fall harvest soup has a warming broth and a rich satisfying flavor. It is easy to make, ( like all of my soups) and even includes some homemade pumpkin puree.

I was looking for a good fast soup for the damp and cold Halloween Eve that incorporated the fall harvest. I wasn't disappointed in this naturally gluten free and vegan winner. I needed it to be really good! Why?

I was invited to my son and daughter in laws house to eat dinner and to also see the grandkids in their Halloween costumes. As with many Halloweens that I can remember, it was a cold and damp evening in Pennsylvania. I wanted to bring some soup to take off the chill both in the house and our bodies.

I could have made my popular pumpkin pie soup, which is blended with sweet apple cider and creamy coconut milk . But I wanted something that was not going to be sweet ( there was going to be enough sweets that night with all the Halloween candy)

I had some unsweetened roasted homemade pumpkin puree left from pumpkin rice pudding that I had made the day before ( you could use canned if time  doesn't allow ) . I also had a large white organic potato, organic sweet potatoes, organic onion and organic parsley left from my CSA farm pick up this week . I knew these ingredients could help flavor a tasty savory soup. We were not disappointed. 

We were 8 adults and 4 kids. Before everyone left to trick or treat, the pot of soup and everyone's soup bowls were licked clean. It was a good soup!

So there you have it- a fall harvest soup recipe that was born from what I had in my kitchen: Onions, sweet potato, white potato, pumpkin puree, and parsley.

With just 5 or 6 ingredients, it was a simple, yet delicious soup.

Although I made it for Halloween, it certainly is worthy of being brought to the Thanksgiving table. It is light, so it can go with a heavy meal. It's a perfect vegan choice as well.
All of my recipes meet real food and gluten free standards.

Ingredients: 
1 large onion, diced
olive oil 
1 large white potato- peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato- peeled and chopped
1 cup of homemade unsweetened pumpkin puree ( or canned)
1/2 cup of parsley
6 cups vegetable broth +2 cups
4 cups water + 2 cups
2 Tablespoons of salt free mixed seasoning ( I used 21 Salute salt free spice mix from Trader Joes)- or add fresh garlic, black pepper, onion powder, dried thyme etc.
optional: 1/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric to add a stronger orange/yellow color and some valuable antioxidants that the pretty spice provides. ( if you decide to use the turmeric, remember- turmeric stains, so be careful of tablecloths and clothing!)

Directions: 
In a soup pot sauté the onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Add the chopped white potato, chopped sweet potato and continue to sauté on low. When the potatoes are partially cooked, add the 6 cups of broth, 4 cups of water, the pumpkin puree,  seasoning and the parsley.  Cook on medium heat until the potatoes are soft and begin to fall apart. Add 2 more cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water and cook for about another 10 minutes uncovered

Note: I find that in all soups, the flavor of the vegetable broth that you use can make a difference in the taste of the soup. Find one that you really like or make your own from all of your vegetable scraps. I usually make my own, but will use Tabatchnicks if I am really in a hurry.

My friend Laura keeps a large baggie in the freezer and adds scraps of onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, potato peels, mushrooms etc.to the baggie each day to freeze them ( instead of throwing them away)  until she has enough to make a nice vegetable stock for her soups.

Cut up sweet potato and white potato

Homemade Pumpkin Puree made by roasting a small "sugar pumpkin" variety of pumpkin and scooping and mashing- see directions roasted homemade pumpkin puree 

Everything simmering in a pot

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