Spicy, warming soups for snowy days

Having had a few weeks of warmer weather recently, I felt distinctly unprepared when the temperature suddenly dropped back to sub-zero. Not only had I somewhat prematurely removed all ice/ snow scraping equipment out of my car (optimistic I know but I had made the decision that it was now spring, and we all know there is no ice at springtime....??!), but I had also made myself a nice, healthy salad for lunch. Appetising when the sun is out or you are toasty warm already... less so when you are hunched up, shivering and surrounded by people wafting past with freshly microwaved steaming bowls of soup or delicious smelling HOT curry from the canteen. Which I couldn't go and buy because, in the absence of a proper ice scraper, I had used my bank card to enable me to see out of my windscreen that morning, and it hadn't survived (it also hadn't cleared much of the ice off my car, so a universally stupid choice of equipment - teach me to make decisions before my morning coffee!). 

Inspired by the spicy smells of curry, I have therefore spent the best part of my Saturday morning cooking up a weeks worth of warming soups for the days ahead, along with some delicious homemade bread to serve it with - proper 'comfort' food with a healthy, runner friendly kick! The soup which I sampled today - and which definitely smells the best! - is my Spiced Pumpkin soup. This is a recipe my mum gave me last time that it snowed, and its the first time I have actually tried to make it - I would call it a success :-)

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Peel, de-seed and chop 750g of butternut squash or pumpkin and add to a lightly oiled (I use the spray oil) large saucepan with a bunch of chopped spring onions. Place over a low heat and cook with the lid on for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Grate or chop a 5cm piece of ginger and add to another saucepan with 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 de-seeded chopped red chillies, 2 lemongrass stalks, split lengthways and a handful of chopped coriander stalks. Pour 1.2 litres of vegetable stock into the saucepan and simmer gently, with a lid on, for 20 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool before blending, then sieve into the saucepan with the pumpkin/ squash and blend again until smooth.

Return the blended mixture to the saucepan and add 400ml coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and the juice of 1 lime. Reheat and stir in a small handful of chopped coriander leaves before serving. If you like it extra hot and spicy, you can add some thin slices of red chilli as well!

I usually find if I make this quantity, I can make it last the week on it's own, or freeze if you want to keep it longer.

And now I have finished both cooking, eating and writing.. I'm going to have to brave the cold and get out for some training!!