Last week I bought a pumpkin, not totally knowing what to do with it. Through experimentation, I came up with this creamy, savoury pumpkin soup recipe which combines both spicy and sweet elements, making every spoonful a sensorial adventure.

• 3 cups of chopped pumpkin
• 2 inch knob of ginger, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 small turmeric roots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 5 cups water
• salt to taste

Lightly fry pumpkin, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin in oil until pumpkin becomes soft, approximately five minutes. Cover with water and add the remaining ingredients. Boil for ten minutes, then let cool for at least an hour. Gently pour the contents into a blender and liquefy. (Make sure the soup is a manageable temperature or will burn yourself!) Return the blended soup to the pot, add coconut milk, stir and simmer until warm. Serve with an optional garnish of fresh cilantro.

*Image courtesy Flickr creative commons.