Curried Pumpkin Soup & Kale Chips

Each time Thomas and I go on a trip and eat ourselves senseless, we try to counteract our gluttony with a few detox meals once we return home. It’s become a bit of a routine – devour everything in sight while on vacation and then eat tons and tons of vegetables when we get back. While we were recently in New York, we had brunch at the incredible Park Avenue Autumn. Over a scrumptious basket of assorted pastries, Thomas and I paused, looked at each other, and simultaneously said, “Detox this week,” and then we continued to gorge ourselves on lovely pumpkin bread and pistachio scones.

Typically, our detox meals consist of vegetable soups that are loaded with all types of leafy greens, legumes, and name-any-healthy-vegetable-here. I change it up from time to time, like with curried pumpkin soup. This soup is so simple to make and it is tremendously healthy due to the vitamins and fiber found in the pumpkin, as well as the many health benefits of curry powder’s turmeric. Usually I add kale to our vegetable detox soups, but this time I decided to serve it on the side as kale chips. Do I even need to explain the health nut factor of kale? I didn’t think so. Curried pumpkin soup is a light and healthy meal that definitely eased us back into our healthy lifestyles and got us right back on track – well, until our next trip.

Kale Chips

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale
Salt
Curry powder (if desired)
Cooking spray

Method

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Wash kale and pat dry. Remove leaves and then tear into pieces. Avoid the stem because it is really tough. Place the leaves in an even layer on the baking sheet. Spray the tops of the leaves with more cooking spray and then season with salt and curry powder (if using). Bake for 6-7 minutes, flip leaves, and then bake for 5 more minutes until crisp.



Curried Pumpkin Soup
Recipe is vegan, gluten-free, low calorie, and tasty!

Ingredients
Makes 2 detoxifying cups or 1 large bowl

1 can pure pumpkin (15 ounces)
½ cup lite coconut milk
½ teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
Sliver of onion

Method

Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium heat. Stir together until combined. Instead of chopping the onion, I like to just simmer a piece in the soup. It adds flavor to the soup while not making it chunky – it’s a texture thing. Add more coconut milk to the soup if you’d like the consistency thinner. Stir constantly for about 5-10 minutes until the soup is heated through. Remove the onion sliver and the bay leaf. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and enjoy!