Pumpkin, rice and cheese soup
A pumpkin soup thickened with rice and with fresh cheese for added protein without a strong flavour. It is sweet and smooth, eaten by the spoonful, and is often easier to tolerate when chewing is difficult or you do not feel like eating.
At a glance
- Prep10 min
- Cooking20 min
- Total30 min
- Servings2 servings
- DifficultyEasy
Allergens
- Dairy
Who this recipe is for
Sweet, thick and easy to eat without chewing: fits into the weekly menu for people with cancer when chewing is difficult.
Ingredients
Quantities for 2 servings. Tick off what you already have.
Step by step
- Pour just enough water or stock into a pan to cover the vegetables and bring it to the boil.
- Add the diced pumpkin and rice, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat.
- Cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until the rice is very soft and the pumpkin breaks down.
- Remove from the heat, add the fresh cheese and blend until smooth.
- Serve with the olive oil drizzled over the top.
Adaptations
How to change it depending on the day. Each change keeps the dish, it does not replace it.
Nausea or sensitivity to smells
Cook the pumpkin and rice, covered, in the microwave, then blend them: there is very little smell and you can serve the soup at room temperature.
Mouth sores or dry mouth
Serve it warm, never hot, and try a spoonful first: depending on how your mouth feels, the cheese’s acidity may bother you. If so, replace the fresh cheese with whole milk or a plant-based drink containing at least 3% protein (soy is best).
Poor appetite
Add a tablespoon of oil while blending and top with chopped hard-boiled egg or seeds: this provides more energy without increasing the amount served.
What it provides
Pumpkin provides beta-carotene and fibre; rice adds thickening carbohydrates without fat; fresh cheese provides protein and calcium. Blended, it can be eaten without any chewing.
The dietitian's tip
The rice gives it a thick texture that goes down easily; use half as much if you prefer it lighter. Make a double batch and freeze some to have soup ready for another week.
It is part of the weekly menu for people with cancer. Also from the same menu: lentil soup and broccoli and cheese soup.
What a recipe is not
This recipe fits into a plan; it does not replace one. It cures nothing and it is not calculated for one particular person: the quantities are indicative and will need adjusting to your case.
If you have a medical condition, take medication or follow a prescribed diet, check with your doctor or your dietitian before changing anything.
Where this recipe comes from
The main guide
Nutrition for people with cancer: what to eat during treatment
You are looking for a list of what you can and cannot eat, and everything you find contradicts everything else. There is…
The menu it belongs to
Weekly menu for people with cancer, with adaptations for symptoms
Planning the week helps when you do not know what you will feel like eating tomorrow. Having the menu in writing can…
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Would you like a plan made for you?
A recipe fits or does not fit depending on what is going on with you. In clinic we build the whole plan around what you eat, what you tolerate and what you fancy.