Curried Calabaza Coconut Soup

Ready to eat. Yummy!

A couple of weeks ago, I did not have much in the way of fresh produce.  The farmer's market just didn't have much that week and I had to get creative.  No worries though, I live in Puerto Rico.  I know how to get creative in the kitchen.  As you may have figured out by now, there are some staple ingredients that I always have in my kitchen and use for almost every meal.  The two main staples being onions and garlic.  I think that these are the best, most universal base for any recipe.  If you start every recipe by sauteing onions and garlic in coconut oil, you will be guaranteed to have a flavorful dish to build on.

Calabaza!

Two other staple ingredients that I use in about half of the things I cook are ginger and turmeric.  Ginger is great for your tummy and turmeric has all kinds of fantastic health benefits as well.  Turmeric is a powerful natural anti inflammatory, so it is sort of like nature's advil without the nasty drug hazards.  Both ginger and turmeric have been shown in various lab studies to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects on a cellular level.  Obviously, these studies used differing amounts of the two foods, but the way I see it, eating ginger and turmeric regularly can't hurt.   

The broth was red from using beets so it turned pink when the coconut milk was added.

One ingredient you can find all year long in sunny Puerto Rico is calabaza.  This is a squash that is similar to a pumpkin.  The varieties grown in PR have a mostly green skin and orange flesh.  Calabaza can be substituted for pumpkin or butternut squash in some recipes, but it is slightly more watery, so some substitutions may need to be made.  This pumpkin is also rich in nutrients like potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C.  It is a very low calorie food as well.  Depending on what I plan to use calabaza for, I usually choose to leave the skin on for the extra fiber content.  Be aware that this can make your dish look less pretty though.

Simmering away.

Curried Calabaza Coconut Soup        

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3/4 tbsp fresh turmeric, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp recaito
3 cups calabaza squash, cut into 1 inch chunks
3 cups vegetable broth (I make my own. Adjust the salt if using store bought broth)
2 cups coconut milk (I make my own. You may need to adjust the broth if using store bought)
2 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Raw pumpkin seeds (optional for protein and garnish)

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion, ginger, turmeric and saute for a few minutes until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the garlic and recaito and saute for one more minute.  Do not let the garlic burn.
4. Add calabaza, vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, and salt and bring to a boil.
5. Turn heat down and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the pumpkin is cooked thoroughly.
6. Immersion blend until mixture is relatively smooth, then serve.  Top with raw pumpkin seeds for protein and garnish if you like.

I hope you enjoy this healthy, vegan treat.  What are some staple ingredients you always use? 

~Donna

Curried Pumpkin Soup with Homemade Coconut Milk

Curried Pumpkin Soup. Yum!

A couple weeks ago I decided that I needed to do a freezer cleanse to make room for some new stuff.  I realized I had two full ziplock bags of frozen pumpkin or calabaza.  So I had planned to make this delicious Pumpkin ginger soup.  However, my plans were thwarted by the farmers market selection for that week, as I once again stocked up on too many fresh goodies.  (My favorite problem to have.)  Well this week I did the same thing, but I couldn't get this soup out of my head.  However, I decided I wanted to do something different because I had just gotten some beautiful jalapenos and turmeric from the farmers market.   So I had this crazy idea: throw the whole recipe plan out the window and make a curried pumpkin soup.  Brilliant!

Forgot the jalapeno. 

Remembered to take a picture of the jalapeno, and of course the beautiful turmeric too.

Ok, to be completely honest, this wasn't really a huge deviation from what I had planned to make. This is actually how I cook all the time.  I have an idea or a general premise for what I want to make, then I look at what I actually have and adapt.  Living in Puerto Rico has really forced me to be a better cook because I learned early on that you can't expect to have a list and just go to the store and get everything.  I have learned that there is a reasonable chance for finding certain things, and a slim chance for others.  As a result, I am a better cook.

Living in PR.  Thought I'd throw that in there.

I have never been a big recipe follower, but I do like to get ideas and inspiration from others.  If it's a big hit in this house, it usually doesn't take me long to integrate it into the regular rotation and completely forget where the idea even came from.  I think this recipe originally started as a Google search for ways to use pumpkin that I didn't like the results of.  So I made something up.

Chopped veggies. 

Since this was completely fly by the seat of my pants and I wanted to eat at some point that night, I asked S. to write down the ingredients as I shouted them out.  That way I wouldn't forget anything.

Sauteing everything up right before I dumped veggie broth all over the stove.

According to my husband the directions are:
"Dump half the veggie broth on the hot burner as a sacrifice to the vegan gods.
Start drinking some wine while it cooks.
Complain about wine in Puerto Rico.
Clean up cat pee."

Doesn't Ellie look all innocent like she would never spitefully pee in the corner?

These things did all happen.  However, these steps are not necessarily all important.  Except for the wine. The wine drinking is definitely a requirement.

Look at all those colors.

I guess I should also clarify that I was not actually worshiping false idols.  I just spill things, a lot. Then S. makes fun of me.  Then we both drink wine.

Pureeing the soup right up.

Anyway, the actual directions follow the ingredients list.

Can you tell I almost forgot the jalapeno?

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 tbsp.coconut oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 inch fresh turmeric, minced
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
2 pounds pumpkin, diced
1 1/2 c. homemade coconut milk* (see note)
4 c. vegetable broth, homemade (could use store bought, but alter or omit the salt if you do)
1/2 tbsp. curry powder
pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
salt to taste

Actual directions:
1. Heat coconut oil on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, turmeric, and ginger and saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add pumpkin, coconut milk, and veggie broth and bring to a boil.
3. Add seasonings and turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes until pumpkin is cooked.
4. Taste for seasonings and add more if desired.
5. Transfer soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Or to desired consistency.  If necessary, heat soup again and enjoy.

NOTE: 
The recipe I use for coconut milk is from here.
I like to use the full 2 cups of coconut so that it is more flavorful.  I also only strain it if it is going to be used for drinking because my Vitamix makes it so fine.  For cooking, it isn't really necessary to strain it, but you should do what you prefer.

-Donna