Kabocha Coconut Soup- vegan, gluten free

The darker flecks are the spices

Actually, this is just a way of sneaking another pumpkin soup recipe into our kitchen and onto the blog- when you have as many pumpkins as we have this year, you have to get super creative with them ; )

This soup is really easy to make- in fact it virtually makes itself while you're cooking the rest of your meal*. Our recipe serves 4 people easily, as it is thick and creamy and quite satisfying. Quantities are approximate for now, as I didn't start making notes until part way through.

about 1/2 cup shredded white cabbage plus a dash of soy sauce, a pinch of brown sugar and a pinch of hing

a fingernail-sized chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

300ml coconut milk

about 2/3 small kabocha , peeled and diced

1 1/2 tsps seasalt

1/2 tsp coarse black pepper

2 tsps Chinese five-spice powder (or a bit more if you like)

• First stir-fry the cabbage and ginger in another pan until soft; add the soy sauce, hing and sugar and mix well. (This should now be pungent enough to do the job of onions.)
• Now put the squash in a pan with just about enough water to cover it, and boil until soft. *This is the part of the recipe when you can go and roast some veggies, put a pot of rice on, etc.
• Mash the squash coarsely in the pan of water- should be easy if it is thoroughly cooked.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and bring to a simmer. Use a hand blender to get a smooth, velvety texture.
• This soup looks great garnished with a little coriander leaf/ flat-leaved parsley, or toasted coconut shavings. Or even top with steamed shredded kale, as we did the second time I made this.