Paros is getting colder and windier by the day and as it’s not exactly a social hub in winter. All I want to do is tuck myself under a blanket, a warm cat on my lap, watch my favourite shows and have hot drinks and food brought to me whenever I ring a bell 😉 That would be lovely, wouldn’t it?
Unfortunately, as I am the chief cook in my house, if I want food I need to get off my ass and actually cook it. I could maybe trick Duncan into bringing me warm oatmeal to bed from time to time, but lunch AND dinner are probably a bit of a stretch…
What do you guys enjoy eating at this time of the year? I’m into pots of bubbling soup, pierogi, stir-fries and fresh ginger and lemon tea at the moment. And cakes! Erm…I’m always into cakes.
I’m experimenting with some chilli chocolate combo right now, which I hope to present to you soon. Meanwhile, today’s recipe is a simple, warming pumpkin soup flavoured with miso. It’s velvety smooth, filling and spicy (if you want it spicy!). It ticks all my soup boxes, I hope it does yours too!
I usually have it with toasted sourdough bread or spiced chickpeas (check them out here), except that I tweak the spices a little. Instead of cumin and smoked paprika, I use ground coriander and turmeric. They work a treat and are a good option if you can’t have bread.
- 1250 g / 2.75 lb butternut squash (or any other pumpkin)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely diced
- 6 cm / 2 ” piece of ginger, finely diced
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 small red chilli, finely diced (optional, adjust to taste)
- 1 litre / 4 cups salt-free veggie stock
- 2½ tbsp white / shiro miso
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- fresh coriander, to serve (optional)
- sesame seeds, to serve (optional)
- 2 tbsp coconut milk or cream, to serve (optional)
- Pre-heat the oven to 225° C / 435° F and line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper.
- Wash the skin of the butternut squash well. Instead of peeling and cubing the squash, which requires quite a bit of effort, cut it into 1.5 cm / 0.5 ” slices and then into half moons. Brush the flesh with a bit of olive oil and bake for about 40 mins, until caramelised and soft. Turn the the pieces over halfway through the baking time. Let the roasted squash get cool enough to handle and peel the skin off then.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a pot on a low-medium flame. Throw in diced shallots. Cook them for a minute or so then add in chopped garlic, ginger and chilli (if using). Keep on stirring the mixture frequently so that the aromatics don’t burn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Once the squash is roasted, add it to the pot and coat it in the shallot, garlic, chilli and ginger mixture.
- Take the pot off the heat and puree until smooth using a hand-blender or transfer to an upright blender and puree with stock.
- Put miso paste in a small bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of warm water. Whisk the miso with a wire whisk so that it transforms into a smooth and thick paste.
- Put blended soup back into the pot, add miso paste and warm up (don’t let the soup boil as excessive heat destroys the nutritional properties of the miso paste).
- Season with lime juice and serve topped with a bit of coconut cream, some spring onions, sesame seeds and fresh coriander.