This warming soup makes a comforting fall meal brimming with nutrients. I usually feed it to my kids on Halloween before they go trick-or-treating, as a tiny bulwark against the imminent candy onslaught …
Curried Pumpkin-and-Apple Soup (serves 4-6). Recipe from Zest for Life: The Mediterranean Anti-Cancer Diet.
2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1½ lb/750g Hokkaido (unpeeled) or butternut squash or pumpkin (peeled), cubed
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1½ pints/750ml vegetable stock
11oz/300g apples, cored and cubed
scant 1 cup/200ml coconut milk
squeeze of lemon juice
chives for garnish
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Tamari-toasted pumpkin seeds
4 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds
1 tsp tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
Cashew Cream
1/3 cup raw cashew nuts (unsalted, untoasted)
1/3 cup water
pinch of salt
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add onion and cook at medium temperature until soft. Add grated ginger and cook another 2 minutes.
Add squash, curry powder and turmeric and cook with the onion, stirring constantly, for another 1-2 minutes, then pour in stock. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
Add apples, cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until squash and apples are soft.
While the soup is cooking, toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet, stirring with a wooden spoon until they start to expand and crackle (3-4 minutes). Add tamari; there will be much hissing and steam but keep stirring and soon the pan will be dry and the seeds coated with a salty crust. Tip onto a plate to cool.
To make cashew cream, tip cashew nuts, water and salt into a small blender and blend for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Dilute to desired thickness (it should be like pouring cream).
When squash and apples are soft, transfer to blender and puree to a fine consistency. When fully blended, pour into a clean pot. Add coconut milk, reheat gently and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Remove from heat and cover.
Ladle soup into bowls and dress each portion with a teaspoon of Cashew cream. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and chives for garnish.
