Curry Spiced Zucchini Soup

Place a steamer insert into a saucepan, making sure it's centered and secure. Fill the saucepan with water, leaving about an inch of space at the bottom to prevent overflowing. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then carefully add the zucchini slices to the steamer insert. Cover the saucepan with a lid and steam the vegetables until they're slightly tender, taking about 5 to 6 minutes.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook the sliced onion until it's tender and translucent, which should take around 5 to 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the grated ginger, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, ground cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, cayenne pepper, sea salt, and black pepper. Mix these spices well until they're evenly distributed.

Add the spice mixture to the cooked onion and mix until it's fully coated. Then, add the sliced zucchini to the onion mixture and stir until it's heated through, taking about 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour the vegetable stock over the zucchini mixture and stir well. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, which should take around 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the zucchini mixture to a blender, leaving about half an inch of space at the top. Cover the blender with a lid and press down on it firmly before pulsing a few times to break up the vegetables. Continue blending in batches until you achieve a smooth puree.

Spoon the soup into 4 serving bowls and garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro and 1 cinnamon stick.