Fig and Squash Soup for One

It’s cold and gray here in San Francisco, a classic weather day for August. (Souvenir shops sell a lot of sweatshirts because tourists don’t realize how far we are from Los Angeles and nobody told them about microclimates.) Luckily for me, my dear friend gave me a huge pile of fresh figs so I could make this lovely soup to warm up!

1 TBLSP sesame oil

¼ yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon garum masala (you could also use curry powder)

1 cup squash, peeled and cubed (I used butternut, but banana, acorn, or pumpkin would all do nicely)

½ teaspoon fresh ginger, diced

2 fresh figs, chopped

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice (about one slice’s worth)

½ cup water

½ cup almond milk (soy or coconut milk will also do)

Salt, to taste

1. In a small soup pot, sauté the onion in the sesame oil until it’s soft. It doesn’t have to be all the way cooked through. Add the garum masala, stirring to make a paste with the pan liquids.
2. Add the squash, ginger, figs, lemon juice, and water, and boil until the pumpkin is soft. Everything will relax into a nice lumpy mush.
3. Puree with an immersion blender or pour it into a blender or food processor, and blend until nearly smooth. You might like some chunks. It’s your choice. Return to the pan, if necessary, add the milk and salt, and reheat.

Serve with bread and a salad for a yummy main course.