Harvest Pumpkin Soup - PCOS-Friendly Recipe

Harvest Pumpkin Soup
Prep: 16 min
Cook: 15 min
Servings: 5
Lunch

Nutrition per Serving

80 Calories
4g Protein
13g Carbs
2g Fat
Nothing says fall like pumpkin soup! Pumpkin is lower in carbohydrate than other starchy vegetables, and is high in vitamin A and fiber. Serve this soup with a large salad for a complete meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 32 ounces reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 5 minutes or until clear.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 
  3. After the soup has cooled, transfer it to a blender and blend until smooth or use an immersion blender in the pot and blend until smooth.
  4. MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Make sure to purchase gluten-free chicken broth and verify all other ingredients are gluten-free and this dish can be gluten-free.

How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management

Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Harvest Pumpkin Soup contribute to your health goals:

  • Chicken: Protein-rich meals help manage insulin resistance common in PCOS
  • Cinnamon: Studies show cinnamon can help lower fasting blood sugar levels in PCOS
  • Onion: Support cardiovascular health and blood sugar regulation
  • Carrot: Provide antioxidants that support overall metabolic health

PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe

The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and anti-inflammatory spices that target the chronic inflammation underlying PCOS. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.

Meal Prep Tip: This Harvest Pumpkin Soup can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.

PCOS-Friendly Foods in This Recipe

This recipe contains the following foods that may benefit PCOS management: Cinnamon.

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

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