Believe it or not, evenings and nights can get chilly in Hawaii too, at least on the West Side of Maui in the 'wintertime'. When the wind and rain come and it feels good to stay at home, under a blanket, a delicious, warm soup can warm you up:) Try this spicy, vegan fall soup recipe! You can buy squash, ginger, onion, fennel and Cayenne salt at the Napili Farmer Market!
Ingredients:
- 1 kabocha squash, halved and seeds removed (butternut or acorn squash would work, too)
- 1 large sweet Maui onion, sliced
- a few cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, sliced
- 1 big piece of fresh ginger (about an inch big), peeled and chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 5 cups filtered water
- salt and Cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 can coconut milk
- curry powder to taste (we used about 1-2 tablespoons)
- turmeric powder to taste (we used about 1-2 teaspoons)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (in our experience parchment paper doesn't always work and you want to be able to 'peel' the foil off of the squash)
- Rub some coconut oil over the cut side of squash and place cut side down on baking sheet and place in oven. Cook the squash until it's tender - about an hour but it depends on the size of it. Let the squash cool off then scoop squash out into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sliced onions, sauté until they are soft, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the fennel and ginger, and cook for about 5 minutes - until you can smell good scents:) Add the kabocha, bay leaf, water, salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder. Add the coconut milk, stir thoroughly and cook the soup for roughly 30 minutes.
- When soup is ready, puree it in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Transfer soup back to the pot, bring to a low simmer and taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.
- Serve with chopped fennel fronds, roasted pumpkin seeds and ground pepper.
- Enjoy!