Winter calls for enjoying your evening snack time to the fullest. Delicious savories and soups are in the most wanted menu. Who doesn’t enjoy a hot and delicious bowl of soup in a chilling winter evening or night? Also, in some cultures around the world, soups are a must have before dinner, as an appetizer. Though the soups have originated in the western cultures, they have travelled far and wide across the globe and have evolved locally, including in the oriental cultures.
I am a soup lover and enjoy soups of all kind including the very popular ones. However, I also enjoy fabricating my own kinds of soups with whatever ingredients are available in my home.
Since, Christmas is gone and new year is arriving, the time is for celebration of winter and guests are pouring in huge numbers in the evening time and nothing is the better than entertaining your guests with a delicious and comforting soup.
Soups are healthy to the core as they are nutritious as well as easily absorbable and digestible. Having soups is a fun for kids and elderly too just love the comfort it brings. These are a great option when feeling weak or when appetite is less, to keep you going all through the day.
Just a couple of days back, I made this simple soup with pumpkin and corn available in my home and served to our guests before dinner. Since, we all enjoyed having this, I thought why not to share this with you. Since I am unable to serve it myself, I would like you to jot down the recipe, prepare it fresh and enjoy it yourself.

RECIPE:
Ingredients
Pumpkin: 150-200 gms
Corn: 1/2 cup
Boiled and mashed potato: 1 small
Boiled Brocoli : few florets
Salt to taste
Pepper : 1/2 tsp or to taste
Nigella seeds/ Kalo jeera/ Kalonji : 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice : 1-2 tbsp
Dry red chilli : 1
Hing ( asafoetida) : a pinch
Oil ( rice bran / any neutral oil ) : 1/2 tsp
Preparation :
1. Boil the corns separately and keep aside.
2. Boil the pieces of pumpkin, potato and brocoli with little salt. Take out the boiled Brocoli pieces and keep separately.
2. Mash the boiled pumpkin and potato together along with the remaining boiled water to make a smooth suspension.
3. Homogenise the suspension using a mixer or blender.
5. Take 1/2 tsp of oil and temper it with dry red chilli, Kalonji and a pinch of asafoetida and add it imediately to the homogenised suspension and mix well.
5. Strain the suspension in a pan over a low flame.
6. Add salt, pepper and previously boiled bits of broccoli and corn and bring it to boil.
7. Simmer for 2 minutes.
8. Pour the lemon juice over it and stir a little.
11. Switch off the flame and serve hot.