Slow Cooker Kale and Pumpkin Soup

This is a hearty, delicious and healthy soup.  For those following the so-called G-BOMBS diet postulated by Dr. Fuhrman against cancer and diabetes (see past post on this blog), this recipe contains three of the six elements that consist the diet, greens, beans and onions plus the vitamin laden pumpkin, tomato and corn.  One can add tilapia or other source of meat protein but the soup is tasty and nutritious enough without any. You do not even need to add any chicken or vegetable broth. The pumpkin gives the soup its rich taste while the kale, corn and beans give it its crunchy and robust texture.  Squeezing lime to the soup and topping and mixing it with yogurt, my favorite being low fat vanilla, takes the soup to a new level.  Refreshing and hearty especially for the coming fall season or any season for that matter. 

Slow Cooker Kale and Pumpkin Soup

• 2 bunches of chopped kale (cleaned and stem removed)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup tomato puree or diced tomato
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and minced
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• salt and pepper
• tilapia, cut into 1/4 inch square (optional)
• water enough to cover kale and other ingredients
• lime wedges
• low fat plain or vanilla flavored yogurt

Place the all the ingredients except lime wedges and yogurt in the slow cooker. 

Slow cook for 4 hours at high or 8 hours at low.  Slow cook for 2 hours if using an Aroma brand rice cooker/slow cooker at slow cook setting. 

Squeeze lime to the soup and mix with yogurt before eating it.