{"id":78978,"date":"2025-11-06T09:57:58","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T16:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=78978"},"modified":"2025-11-06T11:03:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T18:03:25","slug":"fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/","title":{"rendered":"Fresh ideas for your Thanksgiving feast: Try a sumptuous soup, a veggie side and a pumpkin custard for dessert"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_78985\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78985\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-78985\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp\" alt=\"Like pumpkin pie, but more egg-y and without the crust; a perfect Thanksgiving Day\u2014or wintertime\u2014dessert. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-78985\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Like pumpkin pie, but more egg-y and without the crust; a perfect Thanksgiving Day\u2014or wintertime\u2014dessert. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">By now, you\u2019re in the throes of menu planning for that extra-special meal coming around the bend, Thanksgiving Day dinner. I\u2019ve got some suggestions for a starter soup, a side, and a sweet, in case you\u2019re searching for the same.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<p><strong>Need more ideas for a delicious Thanksgiving feast? Check out these great tips and recipes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/thanksgiving-planning-checklist-for-the-wildest-day-in-the-kitchen\/\">The best Thanksgiving checklist: Start prepping up to two weeks ahead to lessen stress.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mashed-potatoes-five-ways\/\">Mashed potatoes five ways<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/how-to-make-recipes-more-nutritious\/\">Six great ideas for making Thanksgiving healthier from fruits to greens and nutritious potato peels<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/cooking-thanksgiving-dinner-get-organized\/\">Get organized + legendary Denver columnist Gene Amole&#8217;s famous Thanksgiving stuffing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/thanksgiving-basics-turkey-and-more-for-first-time-cooks\/\">Thanksgiving basics: cooking a turkey for the first time<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/thanksgiving-leftovers-turkey-cranberry-sandwiches-and-other-delicious-recipes\/\">Turkey cranberry sandwiches and other ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/ethnic-side-dishes-for-thanksgiving\/\">Ethnic side dishes for Thanksgiving<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">First up is a soup, a\u00a0fine introduction to Thanksgiving dinner. It is light enough to refresh and substantial enough to rev up the palate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">The second is a vegetable dish, a nice alternative or addition to the traditional, even \u201crequisite,\u201d Brussels sprouts or green bean casserole.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">And the third suggested menu item is, of course, a dessert.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Zuppa Pavese<\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">This famous soup uses but a few ingredients to delicious effect. It comes from the Lombardy region of the North and one of its principal cities, Pavia. The legend goes that during the <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Battle-of-Pavia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Battle of Pavia in 1525<\/a>, the French king Francois I, held prisoner by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, was fed a soup of stale bread over which was poured hot broth. The peasant girl who brought it to him enriched the soup with a raw egg. In its course from the kitchen to the cell, the steaming liquid cooked the egg to a soft poach. How regal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">My \u201cZuppa Pavese,\u201d its modern Italian name, further accessorizes Francois\u2019 soup by browning the bread in clarified butter and adding a snowdrift of grated aged cheese. If you are squeamish about runny egg yolk, you may simply poach the egg to your liking in the hot broth ahead of time. But the idea is to assemble the soup\u2019s few ingredients in the bowl, then carefully pour the boiling broth over them all. This can be done at the table, a flourish that dinner guests might enjoy as a fillip to their Thanksgiving Day meal.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_78987\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78987\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-78987\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085844\/ZUPPA-PAVESE-web.webp\" alt=\"Zuppa Pavese\u2014the \u201csoup of Pavia\u201d\u2014would be a fine introduction to Thanksgiving dinner; it is light enough to refresh and substantial enough to rev up the palate. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-78987\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zuppa Pavese\u2014the \u201csoup of Pavia\u201d\u2014would be a fine introduction to Thanksgiving dinner; it is light enough to refresh and substantial enough to rev up the palate. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Zuppa Pavese recipe<\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Note: You may use regular butter, but be wary of it burning in the first step. Makes 1, easily multiplied.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Ingredients<br \/>\n<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>A slice of crusty, substantially crumbed bread (enough to cover the bottom of the serving bowl)<\/li>\n<li>2 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee<\/li>\n<li>1 and 1\/2 cup broth of any kind, preferably homemade, salted to your liking<\/li>\n<li>1 large raw egg<\/li>\n<li>2-3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or other firm grating cheese such as Grana Padano)<\/li>\n<li>Chopped flat-leaf parsley and freshly grated black pepper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Directions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Pour very hot or boiling water into a thick-walled soup bowl and set aside. Crack the egg into a small cup or ramekin; have the cheese and parsley at the ready. Over medium heat, fry the bread slice or slices in the butter or ghee until well browned on both sides. Heat the broth to a good simmer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Drain and dry the serving bowl; place the bread in it, then slide the egg onto the bread; carefully pour the broth into the bowl. Top with the cheese and the parsley and as much grated pepper as you like.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Creamed Spinach Queen Mary 2<\/b><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_78986\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78986\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-78986\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085838\/CREAMED-SPINACH-web.webp\" alt=\"A delicious vegetable side dish, from the kitchens of Cunard\u2019s flagship, Queen Mary 2. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"465\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-78986\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A delicious vegetable side dish, from the kitchens of Cunard\u2019s flagship, Queen Mary 2. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">On a voyage back from Europe to the United States aboard the Queen Mary 2, I ordered this creamed spinach from its steak restaurant. It\u2019s delicious; you could eat it for dessert, it\u2019s so rich and filling. I think the dual secrets are squeezing the spinach of excess water after it has been blanched and also thickening the cream.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Creamed Spinach Queen Mary 2 recipe<\/b><\/h2>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Makes 4 portions.<b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Ingredients<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">1 8-ounce bag baby spinach<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">1\/3 cup heavy whipping cream<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">4 teaspoons butter<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">1\/3 teaspoon kosher or sea salt<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Freshly ground black pepper, to taste<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Directions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">In a large pot of rapidly boiling, lightly salted water, blanch the spinach until wilted, 20-30 seconds. Drain and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze of excess moisture. Set aside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">In a saucepan, reduce the cream and butter until the mixture is thickened but not broken. Add the cream and butter to the spinach and toss with tongs, adding the salt, grindings of black pepper, and gratings of nutmeg to taste.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Pumpkin Custards recipe<\/b><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_78984\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-78984\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-78984\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085822\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-square-web.webp\" alt=\"A pumpkin pie-like dessert perfect for Thanksgiving. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-78984\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A pumpkin pie-like dessert perfect for Thanksgiving. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">This is a custard of pumpkin and egg, something like pumpkin pie, but more egg-y and without the crust. A perfect Thanksgiving Day dessert.\u00a0Makes 6 8-ounce or 3 16-ounce custards.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Ingredients<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">1 15-ounce can pumpkin pur\u00e9e<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">1 cup evaporated milk<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">2\/3 cup brown sugar<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">1 1\/2 to 2 teaspoons spice mix, to taste (see note)<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">1 teaspoon vanilla extract<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">1\/2 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Unsalted butter, at room temperature, or cooking spray<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Whipping cream, whipped with powdered sugar<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Candied pecans (optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Directions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">In a large bowl, with a mixer or a stout whisk, mix the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, spice mix, vanilla extract, and salt until uniformly smooth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Butter (or use cooking spray) 6 8-ounce or 3 16-ounce ovenproof ramekins or small casseroles and evenly divide the custard batter among them. Place the cooking containers in a large high-sided roasting pan and pour very hot water into the pan to reach 1 inch up the sides of the pan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Carefully transfer the roasting pan to the oven and bake, uncovered, until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of one custard comes out clean. (About 60-70 minutes for the 6 ramekins or up to 85 minutes for the small casseroles.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">When done, transfer the custards to a rack to cool. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cool, with the whipped cream and optional candied pecans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>Note<\/b>: Powdered &#8220;pumpkin spice&#8221; mixtures are available, or make a spice mix of your own. For both sweet as well as savory preparations, I often use Moroccan ras el hanout or the Emirati blend called &#8220;bzar&#8221; (among other spices, bzar mixes the powders of coriander, cumin, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, cinnamon, black peppercorn, and clove, along with the occasional powdered dried chile).<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><i>Reach Bill St. John at\u00a0<\/i><a id=\"LPlnk989309\" title=\"mailto:bill@billstjohn.com\" href=\"mailto:bill@billstjohn.com\" data-linkindex=\"0\"><i>bill@billstjohn.com<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By now, you\u2019re in the throes of menu planning for that extra-special meal coming around the bend, Thanksgiving Day dinner. I\u2019ve got some suggestions for a starter soup, a side, and a sweet, in case you\u2019re searching for the same. First up is a soup, a\u00a0fine introduction to Thanksgiving dinner. It is light enough to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2197,"featured_media":78985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4799,2366,4415],"class_list":["post-78978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-bill-st-john","tag-healthy-recipes","tag-recipes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fresh ideas: A Thanksgiving soup, side and dessert - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Try this Thanksgiving soup, a fine introduction to your meal. Then enjoy a vegetable side dish and this dessert recipe.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fresh ideas for your Thanksgiving feast: Try a sumptuous soup, a veggie side and a pumpkin custard for dessert\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Try this Thanksgiving soup, a fine introduction to your meal. Then enjoy a vegetable side dish and this dessert recipe.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-06T16:57:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-06T18:03:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bill St. John, for UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bill St. John, for UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Bill St. John, for UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/6fab47ae1c5b24834f25747358a6c8e3\"},\"headline\":\"Fresh ideas for your Thanksgiving feast: Try a sumptuous soup, a veggie side and a pumpkin custard for dessert\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-06T16:57:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-06T18:03:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/\"},\"wordCount\":1206,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Bill St. John\",\"Healthy recipes\",\"Recipes\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Healthy living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/\",\"name\":\"Fresh ideas: A Thanksgiving soup, side and dessert - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-06T16:57:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-06T18:03:25+00:00\",\"description\":\"Try this Thanksgiving soup, a fine introduction to your meal. Then enjoy a vegetable side dish and this dessert recipe.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450,\"caption\":\"Like pumpkin pie, but more egg-y and without the crust; a perfect Thanksgiving Day\u2014or wintertime\u2014dessert. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Fresh ideas for your Thanksgiving feast: Try a sumptuous soup, a veggie side and a pumpkin custard for dessert\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/6fab47ae1c5b24834f25747358a6c8e3\",\"name\":\"Bill St. John, for UCHealth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f15541c88f3b19e0ec84fd2afc4e2b6d17fe91bf648ceaedbee9f1f59d1cda08?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f15541c88f3b19e0ec84fd2afc4e2b6d17fe91bf648ceaedbee9f1f59d1cda08?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f15541c88f3b19e0ec84fd2afc4e2b6d17fe91bf648ceaedbee9f1f59d1cda08?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Bill St. John, for UCHealth\"},\"description\":\"For more than 40 years, Bill St. John\u2019s specialties have been as varied as they are cultured. He writes and teaches about restaurants, wine, food &amp; wine, the history of the cuisines of several countries (France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and the USA), about religion and its nexus with food, culture, history, or philosophy, and on books, travel, food writing, op-ed, and language. Bill has lent (and lends) his subject matter expertise to such outlets as The Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, The Chicago Tribune, 5280 Magazine, and for various entities such as food markets, wine shops, schools &amp; hospitals, and, for its brief life, Microsoft\u2019s sidewalk.com. In 2001 he was nominated for a James Beard Award in Journalism for his 12 years of writing for Wine &amp; Spirits Magazine. Bill's experience also includes teaching at Regis University and the University of Chicago and in classrooms of his own devising; working as on-air talent with Denver's KCNC-TV, where he scripted and presented a travel &amp; lifestyle program called \\\"Wine at 45\\\"; a one-week stint as a Trappist monk; and offering his shoulder as a headrest for Julia Child for 20 minutes. Bill has also visited 54 countries, 42 of the United States, and all 10 Canadian provinces.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/bstjohn\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fresh ideas: A Thanksgiving soup, side and dessert - UCHealth Today","description":"Try this Thanksgiving soup, a fine introduction to your meal. Then enjoy a vegetable side dish and this dessert recipe.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Fresh ideas for your Thanksgiving feast: Try a sumptuous soup, a veggie side and a pumpkin custard for dessert","og_description":"Try this Thanksgiving soup, a fine introduction to your meal. Then enjoy a vegetable side dish and this dessert recipe.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2025-11-06T16:57:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-06T18:03:25+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Bill St. John, for UCHealth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Bill St. John, for UCHealth","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/"},"author":{"name":"Bill St. John, for UCHealth","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/6fab47ae1c5b24834f25747358a6c8e3"},"headline":"Fresh ideas for your Thanksgiving feast: Try a sumptuous soup, a veggie side and a pumpkin custard for dessert","datePublished":"2025-11-06T16:57:58+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-06T18:03:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/"},"wordCount":1206,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp","keywords":["Bill St. John","Healthy recipes","Recipes"],"articleSection":["Healthy living"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/","name":"Fresh ideas: A Thanksgiving soup, side and dessert - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp","datePublished":"2025-11-06T16:57:58+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-06T18:03:25+00:00","description":"Try this Thanksgiving soup, a fine introduction to your meal. Then enjoy a vegetable side dish and this dessert recipe.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/11\/12085829\/PUMPKIN-CUSTARD-16x9-web.webp","width":800,"height":450,"caption":"Like pumpkin pie, but more egg-y and without the crust; a perfect Thanksgiving Day\u2014or wintertime\u2014dessert. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Fresh ideas for your Thanksgiving feast: Try a sumptuous soup, a veggie side and a pumpkin custard for dessert"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/6fab47ae1c5b24834f25747358a6c8e3","name":"Bill St. John, for UCHealth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f15541c88f3b19e0ec84fd2afc4e2b6d17fe91bf648ceaedbee9f1f59d1cda08?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f15541c88f3b19e0ec84fd2afc4e2b6d17fe91bf648ceaedbee9f1f59d1cda08?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f15541c88f3b19e0ec84fd2afc4e2b6d17fe91bf648ceaedbee9f1f59d1cda08?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Bill St. John, for UCHealth"},"description":"For more than 40 years, Bill St. John\u2019s specialties have been as varied as they are cultured. He writes and teaches about restaurants, wine, food &amp; wine, the history of the cuisines of several countries (France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and the USA), about religion and its nexus with food, culture, history, or philosophy, and on books, travel, food writing, op-ed, and language. Bill has lent (and lends) his subject matter expertise to such outlets as The Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, The Chicago Tribune, 5280 Magazine, and for various entities such as food markets, wine shops, schools &amp; hospitals, and, for its brief life, Microsoft\u2019s sidewalk.com. In 2001 he was nominated for a James Beard Award in Journalism for his 12 years of writing for Wine &amp; Spirits Magazine. Bill's experience also includes teaching at Regis University and the University of Chicago and in classrooms of his own devising; working as on-air talent with Denver's KCNC-TV, where he scripted and presented a travel &amp; lifestyle program called \"Wine at 45\"; a one-week stint as a Trappist monk; and offering his shoulder as a headrest for Julia Child for 20 minutes. Bill has also visited 54 countries, 42 of the United States, and all 10 Canadian provinces.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/bstjohn\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":2197,"name":"Bill St. John, for UCHealth","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/bstjohn\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2197"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78978"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78978\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86747,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78978\/revisions\/86747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}