Joan’s Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup

 

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 "inch” of ginger, finely chopped

  • 4 green shallots, chopped

  • 1 tsp chopped fresh lemongrass, or a good tsp lemongrass paste

  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 tsp shrimp paste (sometimes called Trasi)                                    

  • 1 tsp red curry paste 

  • 1 to one and a 1/2 cups chicken stock

  • 500 g pumpkin chopped (I like to use 2 different kinds of pumpkin, i.e., Butternut and Kent)

  • 400 ml can coconut cream

To serve: shredded fresh basil and plain yoghurt     

Method

  • Heat the oil in a heavy-based large saucepan. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, shrimp paste, and curry paste and cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft.

  • Add chopped pumpkin and enough stock to just cover the pumpkin. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. 

  • Add the nutmeg, stir in the coconut cream and simmer, covered, for 5 mins or until the pumpkin is tender.

  • Mash with a potato masher or a stick blender, to your desired consistency, and simmer for a few more minutes.

  • Serve topped with a dessertspoon yoghurt and sprinkled with chopped basil.

    I hope you like it. John prefers that I double the red curry paste, and in any case, it depends on which brand you have in the cupboard. Some of them are so weak; I miss the old Trident Red Curry paste in the foil packet – Joan