Pumpkin Turmeric Soup with Crispy Shallots and Grilled Bread

Would you believe me if I told you I've been wearing my (one and only) sweater here in Bali A LOT!? I really have. It's been dipping below 80F and that means I'M CHILLY! I think that also means I'm completely ruined for winter in the USA... I look at snow as a novelty these days! What fun it must be! I'll stay here in the warmth and humidity for a bit longer, I think 😉

I really am loving rainy season, though. I frequently wake up to the sound of rain, which usually comes on quickly and sustains a pretty impressive downpour for quite a while. My windows are always open, so I hear every drop! It's really pretty awesome. Lately I've been waking up early — 6 am or so — which necessitates a sweater as I sip my tea and get ready to head into town for class. Riding down the hill to Ubud on the motorbike is chilly, and occasionally wet, but such a beautiful drive through the rice paddies. I recently took a hyperlapse of the drive, but have yet to figure out how/when/if to share it! It's a fun one!

I keep thinking I should be sharing more about my yoga teacher training, since so many of you have expressed interest and it's proving to be a really powerful experience... but I'm having trouble finding the words! It's a bit of a personal journey, one that I'm soaking up like a sponge and giving so much thanks for! I'm noticing more and more the intersection of opportunities and perfect timing and personal growth in my life — a convoluted way of saying I'm recognizing the grand timing behind my life these days, and tremendously enjoying watching things come together. I enjoy spending every day with my classmates, who vary greatly in age, yoga background, interests, etc., and am grateful for the incredible teachers who have been coming each day to open us up physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Whether or not you want to be a yoga teacher, I think everyone could benefit from going through the right kind of training! Maybe I'll share more details in the future, but for now I'm keeping it vague and grateful — this journey is demanding, but so worth it!

With all the rain and cozy weather, not to mention introspection and information processing, comes the aforementioned tea and SOUP! Mainly, easy soup. Comforting soup. THIS soup. Bali spoils me with incredible vegetables, and winter squash is one of the things I'm really glad to find everywhere. I'm not sure exactly what to call it — is it a pumpkin? I can't completely identify what type of squash it is... so I'm giving you some wiggle room there. Get a hearty pumpkin-y squash and try it out! Scoop out seeds. Take off the hard rind. Chop it up. ADD ALL THE SPICES!

This soup actually comes together really quickly, and the texture is so silky smooth! It's like drinking liquid velvet! That actually sounds a bit scratchy, if you think about it upside down... we're gonna stick with it anyways! Liquid velvety pumpkin turmeric soup = heaven. Add some crispy fried shallots (remember those?) and some grilled bread and you pretty much have yourself the most comforting winter meal in all of creation. In competition with this soup. YUM? Yes. Yum.

Pumpkin Turmeric Soup with Crispy Shallots and Grilled Bread

• Author: by Mary
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 cups 1" cubed winter squash (like Buttercup or Kabocha)
• 1 tsp cooking oil (I used olive)
• ½ cup minced shallots
• 2 Tbsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 cup coconut cream
• water (or vegetable stock)
• salt & pepper
• crispy fried shallots*
• cilantro for garnish
• 1 loaf of bread, sliced into thick pieces

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Instructions

1. Cube and de-seed your squash, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, then add the minced shallots. Stir for a minute before adding the spices. Cook for two minutes before adding the cubed winter squash. Stir to coat the squash with the spices, then add the coconut cream and enough water to barely cover the squash.
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the squash is falling apart.
4. Puree the squash, either with a hand blender or in a normal blender, then return to heat and season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve warm topped with extra coconut cream, crispy fried shallots, and cilantro.
6. Grill or toast the bread and serve alongside the soup.

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Notes

*You can either fry thinly sliced shallots in hot oil, or buy prepared crispy fried shallots at any Asian grocery store.