I’m trying to incorporate turmeric in our diet and this soup was perfect. I really enjoy soups particularly on these cold days and you can make a big batch and freeze the rest down and cook form frozen which is really handy. I only lightly spiced the soup as I wanted to make sure we could taste the coconut milk. The crispy sage leaves were from someone else’s recipe and it worked really well. If you want a warming nutritious tasty soup then this is perfect.

Ingredients

Soup

• 3 shallots, peeled and  finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium squash, halved, deseeded, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 vegetable cube
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk (reserve a few tablespoons for topping)
• 8 – 12 sage leaves
• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil for frying

 Method

 Crispy sage

1. Heat 3 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a small pan over medium heat. Carefully add sage leaves into the pan and fry for about 30-45 seconds, until the leaves are dark and crispy. Remove from heat and place on a piece of paper towel to remove excess oil. Set aside.

Soup

1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a very large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped shallots and cook for about 3 minutes stirring, until they have softened. Add in the garlic, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, smoked paprika and sea salt and stir. Then add the squash and carrot, sauté for a couple of minutes. Tip in the coconut milk (reserve some of the cream on the lid) and fill the empty can with water and then half again adding them to the soup.
2. Crumble in the stock cube and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash and carrots are tender and a fork can easily pierce through, about 30 minutes.
3. Using a hand blender puree the soup until smooth.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
5. Serve by adding a couple of ladle’s of soup into a bowl, swirl in the reserved coconut cream and top with the sage leaves.