Kabocha Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 kabocha squash (or sweet, tender fleshed squash)

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 5 allspice berries

• 2 star anise

• pinch of salt

• pinch of freshly ground black pepper

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

• 2 cups cashew milk

• 2 cups coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger

• ½ vanilla bean or ½ teaspoon ground vanilla

• ¼ cup orange juice

• grated zest of 1 orange

• Fig balsamic to serve (you can also use fig jam)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.

2. In a large bowl, toss squash, whole spices, salt, and pepper with the melted butter until well coated. Pour onto a large baking sheet, arrange in a single layer, and bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool.

3. While the vegetables roast, combine the cashew milk, coconut milk and ginger in a small, heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the mixture and add the vanilla bean as well. Bring to boil, then immediately remove from the heat, and let cool; remove the vanilla bean.

4. Place the squash, spices and pan drippings into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add the milk mixture, orange juice, and zest; pulse until the mixture is just smooth and uniform.  

5. To serve, pour the soup into soup bowls and drizzle with fig balsamic.