Spicy Pumpkin Soup
An easy, delicious soup, with some spicy additions that add great flavour. Roasting the pumpkin first gives this soup a richness that is quite different to boiling the pumpkin. Yum!
- 1 medium jap pumpkin
- 2 T Organic Olive Oil
- 1 litre stock (or 2 organic stock cubes and water)
- 1 T Whole cumin seeds
- 2 t ground corriander
- 1 t ground cumin seeds
- 1 fresh red chilli (or 1 tsp chilli powder)
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves organic garlic
- 1 T fresh ginger, grated
- 1 can organic coconut milk
- 1⁄2 bunch organic corriander
- 2 limes
Chop the pumpkin up into thick moon shaped slices, leaving the skin intact. lay in a single layer in a baking dish, and drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle of sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Roast in a medium oven until the pumpkin is soft and starting to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly. Remove the skins from the pumpkin and roughly chop.
Dice the onion, then in a large soup pot, saute til soft and transparent. Add the pumpkin, and the garlic, and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes on a low heat, then add stock to cover. On a medium heat simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. WIth a potatoe masher, break up the pumpkin, and keep stirring while the soup comes together.
In a dry frying pan, lightly toast the cumin seeds, (stir to stop them burning), for a few minutes til they change colour and smell toasted. Remove to a mortar and pestle and grind up a little, then mix with the ground cumin and ground corriander. Add to the pot with the chopped chilli and grated ginger.*
Add the coconut milk, adjusting the amount of water to get the consistency you like, season with salt to taste, .and cook a little longer to allow the flavours to combine.
Serve with chopped corriander and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
* If you want the soup to be really spicy, add the chilli and ginger and garlic right at the end of the cooking time, as these flavours really mellow with cooking time. (similarly, add the chilli (without seeds)ginger and garlic right at the beginning if you want a more mellow soup.