Milk contains the sugar lactose, which your body can only absorb if it produces the enzyme lactase. If your small intestine cells can't make lactase, you may feel abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and nausea up to two hours after you drink or eat something that contains milk. Drinking lactose-free milk and cooking with it may ease your symptoms. Although lactose-free milk tastes a tad sweeter, use it in recipes the same way as regular milk. A pot of creamy pumpkin soup is a simple way to start experimenting.
Step 1
Cut the pumpkin in half and scrape the stringy matter and seeds off with a metal spoon.
Step 2
Peel the pumpkin and rinse it. Cut it in chunks.
Step 3
Place the pumpkin in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook the pumpkin until it's soft enough to puree it, about 40 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the pumpkin from the water and mash it inside a bowl with a fork. A 4-lb. sugar pumpkin yields about 1½ cups of pumpkin puree. Reserve the water.
Step 5
Cook the onions until they become translucent and soft, about two to three minutes.
Step 6
Add 2 cups of the pumpkin water and the pumpkin puree to the pot with the onions. If you have less than 2 cups of liquid left, add chicken broth or plain water to reach the right amount. Stir to blend the puree with the liquid.
Step 7
Add lactose-free milk, salt and nutmeg to the soup pan. If you're using brown sugar, put it in now.
Step 8
Mix the soup ingredients with a spoon and let it come to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve it.
Tips and Warnings
- For a smooth soup, run it through a blender to puree the onions before serving it.
Things You'll Need
- 4 lb. sugar pie pumpkin
- Knife
- Metal spoon
- Pan
- Water
- Bowl
- Fork
- ½ cup finely cut onion
- 2 cups pumpkin water
- Spoon
- 1½ cup lactose-free milk
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar (optional)
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