Recipe: Curried butternut & kumara soup with garlic fennel flatbread

I’ve been making this belly-warming soup for quite some time now. It’s a wholesome blend of natural, healing ingredients including ginger, turmeric and a large quantity of garlic, along with creamy butternut pumpkin, kūmara, coconut cream and bright, punchy spices.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

SOUP

Olive or avocado oil (optional)
2 brown onions, diced
About 16 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and diced
1 large purple kūmara, peeled and diced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
4 cups water
1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
400 ml (14 fl oz) can coconut cream

GARLIC FENNEL FLATBREAD

1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
¾ cup water
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 large clove garlic, crushed/finely grated       

1.  Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan-bake. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2.  Heat the oil, if using, in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant.

3. Transfer to a large saucepan along with all the other ingredients except for the coconut cream. Cover, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

4. Transfer to a blender. You will need to do this in two batches. If your blender is not designed to blend hot liquid, let the soup cool slightly before blending. Blend until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can use a stick blender for this step.

5. Transfer back to the saucepan and add the coconut cream, reserving a little to garnish. Stir to combine well.

Images and text extracted from Simple Wholefoods by Sophie Steevens published by Allen & Unwin NZ, RRP: $49.99. Photography by Lottie Hedley.