Recipes for Free: Creamy Pumpkin Soup

I’ve been using Sparkpeople.com over the past few weeks to track my daily caloric intake and fitness. It’s an excellent way to hold myself accountable for everything that I eat as well as track patterns and trends in my daily diet. Sparkpeople has a ton of useful features, tips, advice, and recipes to help you meet your nutritional goals. I tastespotted this pumpkin soup and decided to give it a try. My third pumpkin inspired recipe of the season.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup adapted from Sparkrecipes Low Cal Pumpkin Soup
1 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons earth balance
4  cups veggie broth
1 cup unsweetened almond or rice milk
2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)
To taste: sea salt, onion and garlic powder, black pepper,

1. Coat a medium cast iron skillet with olive oil and earth balance over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, red pepper. Season well and sauté until tender for about 10 minutes. Add cider vinegar.
2. Add pure pumpkin, veggie broth, and milk stirring constantly. Cover and lower heat for another 10 minutes. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and parmesan cheese. Using an immersion blender puree soup until smooth and creamy and simmer 5 minutes over low heat.