Spicy Butternut and Chickpea Soup with Coconut Cream

This is such a typical African soup. 

To make it even more Southern African you could use butter pumpkin instead of butternut, peanuts instead of chickpeas, and Morogo or Imifino (African wild spinach) instead of baby spinach leaves.

Ingredients:
30ml olive oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
5ml chopped garlic
5ml grated fresh ginger
5ml dried chilli flakes
5ml curry powder
5ml ground cumin
1 can chopped tomatoes
10ml sugar
500ml chicken stock
750ml peeled butternut cubes
1 can chickpeas, washed and drained
150-200ml coconut cream
a couple of handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Steam the butternut for 15-20 minutes minutes until it begins to soften.

Meanwhile, over med-high heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. When it is hot, add the onion and cook gently for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down if it starts to burn. Add in the garlic, ginger and all the spices and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Add in the tinned tomatoes and sugar, stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Add in the cooked butternut, the chickpeas and the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, and then turn down to a simmer for a further 15 minutes. Stir through the coconut cream, check for seasoning, and then add in the spinach leaves just before serving.

Serve in warmed soup bowls with fresh crusty bread on the side.