SPICY COMFORTING PUMPKIN SOUP

This soup is the queen of cold-season lunches or dinners. It's comforting, hearty and warming. I love it not only because it's served hot but also because it’s packed with a variety of warming spices. Plus, pumpkin is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates that will give you energy for the rest of the day.

Ingredients

• 0.25-0.5 of pumpkin (depending on the size; if it's large, a quarter will be enough)

• 2-3 cloves of garlic

• 0.25 of an onion

• Approximately 3 cm of ginger root

• Broth or water

• 300 ml of coconut milk (from a can) (if you prefer a lighter texture, you can substitute with another plant-based milk, such as soy milk)

• Spices: salt, chilli peppers, turmeric, paprika, cumin

• For garnish: chilli peppers, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds

Instructions

I cut the pumpkin in half (if it’s very large, I cut it into quarters). I remove the seeds, sprinkle it with salt and place it in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for about 45-50 minutes.

Next, I chop the garlic cloves and onion. I finely grate the ginger. I add everything to a pan, along with some spices and sauté it all together to blend the flavors.

Once the pumpkin is cooked, I transfer it to a high-powered blender, add the sautéed spices and pour in some milk and water or broth. I blend everything until smooth.

The amount of water (or broth) controls the texture of the soup. If I add more water, the soup will be thinner; if I add less, it will be thicker.

I serve it garnished with sliced chilli pepper and seeds.

BON APPETIT!