
1 red onion, minced (about 6 oz.)
1 green chile, minced (keep seeds for more heat)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 2 lbs.)
1–2 tablespoons curry powder
½ tablespoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ cups diced tomatoes (14-oz can)
1 cup water
1 cup canned coconut milk OR low-sodium vegetable broth
1½ cups cooked chickpeas (15-oz can, drained and rinsed)
3 cups kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced
1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the onion, green chiles, garlic, and pumpkin. Cover and dry-sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the spices and tomatoes. Cover and continue to sauté for 5 minutes.
2. Add the water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how soft you want the pumpkin to be.
3. Stir in the chickpeas and kale. Continue cooking until the kale is tender, and the soup has your desired consistency.
Serves: 4
Chef’s Notes: For a creamier stew, blend part of the soup before step 3. The easiest way to do this is using an immersion (hand-held) blender, which is placed directly into the soup pot. Leave some of the pumpkin intact for some contrast in texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer half of the soup to a blender, blend, and then return it to the pot.

Katie Mae is a plant-based nutritionist and culinary instructor at PlantBasedKatie.com, supporting people in living brighter, fuller lives through whole plant foods. Katie Mae holds a Masters of Science in nutrition from Bastyr University and a Bachelor’s in human biology from Michigan State University. Since 2010 Katie Mae has been teaching weekly cooking classes at TrueNorth Health Center and working for Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center. From 2010 to 2014, she was also the Nutrition Educator at Sonoma State University, and in 2012 she was trained as a post-partum doula. She says, “Let’s eat like our future matters. A plant-based diet is the single best thing we can do for ourselves, our children and the planet.” Through her online cooking trainings, live workshops, and e-cookbooks, Katie Mae teaches how to simply prepare plant-based meals that are bursting with flavor. She’s emphasizes herbs, spices, and other flavors from around the world to excite the taste buds rather than refined sugar, oil, salt, and processed foods. You can find out more about Katie Mae, her cooking courses, and her recipes at PlantBasedKatie.com and PlantzBootCamp.com.