Soup to Nuts.

One thing I adore making time after time is soup. It's usually pretty simple and even the complicated recipes really aren't that complicated. Have I mentioned Heidi Swan's blog yet, 101 Cookbooks yet? She has easily become one of my favorites, with her whole foods approach to cooking, her book, Super Natural Cooking and her blog are not intimidating at all when it comes to healthier cooking and eating.

I pulled her recipe for Thai Spiced Pumpkin Soup a couple of weeks ago and finally made it this evening. It's been a cool and rainy day in Los Angeles and nothing is more rewarding than a big bowl of homemade soup. The recipe calls for pumpkin, but any winter squash will do honestly. I bought some butternut squash at the farmer's market last weekend and thought it would be an adequate substitute given that pumpkins aren't in season currently.

This soup is so satisfying and good for you, the Thai inspiration comes out in the coconut milk and red curry paste. The coconut milk is silky and sweet and the red curry paste balances it out with some heat. The consistency of this soup is all about preference, I happen to like my soups thicker than most, so I added very little chicken stock (the recipe calls for water, but that's boring). I topped it with some cilantro leaves for garnish. What I also adore about this recipe is that it calls for so few ingredients, which makes for a simple meal but also one that you can whip up anytime throughout the week.

** Note that the adorable owl bowl is created by Eclectic Clayworks.