Want a little comfort during these cold months? Well we’ve got it. This Sugar Pumpkin Green Tea Soup will be your cozy hideaway for when it’s oh-so-cold outside. We love this dish because the green tea and sugar pumpkin are a mouthwatering fusion of flavors. Plus I could not wait to cook up my sugar pumpkin that I got from the farmers market this week!

Sugar pumpkins are some of those smaller pumpkins you see lining farmers markets and supermarkets that are better for cooking purposes than some of the larger jack-o-lantern pumpkins. The sugar pumpkin has a much firmer and smoother flesh than their larger cousins, making them better for cooking. Pumpkins are a part of the winter squash family and are an excellent source of vitamin A and many other vitamins and minerals. To prep the cooked pumpkin in this recipe, we chopped it into large chunks, removed the seeds, and boiled it with the skin on until soft. It is much easier to remove skins once it is cooked. Drain the water after boiling and allow to cool. Then peel off the skin with a spoon or knife. You can also do the same by roasting the pumpkin at 400 F for 30-40 minutes until soft and then removing the skin.

And did you know that you can use Lipton® Pure Green Tea as a broth for this recipe? How awesome is that! There are countless ways to reap the benefits of green tea! Lipton® Pure Green Tea is hydrating, naturally refreshing, bursting with flavor and super flexible in the kitchen. You can add it to smoothies, oatmeal, or use it as a broth for stir-fry and soups as we have here.

Alright, let’s whip up this Sugar Pumpkin Green Tea Soup. Start by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot and then add the Lipton® Pure Green Tea bags and steep for 3-4 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and add the split peas. Cook over medium heat with the cover on for 35-40 minutes, or until the peas are tender. Allow the cooked peas to cool, and in a blender, add everything in the pot (peas + liquid), onion, garlic, and the cooked sugar pumpkin. Blend until a smooth, creamy consistency has been reached. Pour the blend back into the pot, add 1 cup of water, and add in the paprika and cumin. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes and add salt and black pepper, to taste. For a gorgeous garnish, top with sun dried tomatoes and/or sliced jalapeño. And of course, don’t forget your beverage pairing. Lipton® Pure Green Tea can be enjoyed iced or hot.

Take my word, this Sugar Pumpkin Green Tea Soup is a fun, creative dish that I am sure you have not tried before! It’s also delicious and full of important nutrients. Comment below and let us know what you think of this Sugar Pumpkin Green Tea Soup!

Sugar Pumpkin Green Tea Soup

Servings: 2

Ingredients

5 cups water
2 Lipton® Pure Green Tea bags
1/2 cup dried yellow split peas
1/4 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 cup cooked sugar pumpkin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: Garnish with sun dried tomatoes and/or sliced jalapeño

Instructions

Start by bringing 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot
Then add the tea bags and steep for 3-4 minutes
Remove the tea bags, and add the split peas
Cook over medium heat with the cover on for 35-40 minutes, or until the peas are tender
Allow the cooked peas to cool, and in a blender, add everything in the pot (peas + liquid), onion, garlic, and the cooked sugar pumpkin
Blend until a smooth, creamy consistency has been reached
Pour the blend back into the pot, add 1 cup of water, and also add paprika and cumin
Cook over low heat for 10 minutes
Add salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional: Garnish with sun dried tomatoes and/or sliced jalapeño, and serve with Lipton® iced green tea as the perfect beverage pairing!

FTC: This post is sponsored by Unilever, whose Agents of Change program celebrates the work of dietitians- like us- who are passionate about creating a healthier, more sustainable future.