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Asian-style pumpkin soup with pumpkin crisp breads
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 750g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm-wide strips
- 2tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 lemongrass stalks, halved lengthways and bruised
- 1 piece (about 5cm) galangal, halved lengthways
- 1tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 kaffir lime leaves
- 50g palm sugar, grated
- 500ml liquid coconut cream
- 750ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 3tbsp fish sauce
- juice of 1 lime
- 4tbsp roasted peanuts, 4 spring onions, shredded, 1 red chilli, deseeded and shredded, and Thai sweet basil, fried in oil for a few seconds to turn crisp, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/ Gas 6. Place the pumpkin on a large oven tray lined with tin foil and toss with 1tsp of the oil. Shape the foil around the pumpkin like a tent and seal, then roast for 45 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Remove and set aside 75g for the crisp breads (see right).
Heat the rest of the oil in a pan, then add the lemongrass and galangal and fry for a few minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic, lime leaves and sugar and stir for a minute. Pour in the coconut cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stock and bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain through a sieve set over a bowl and pick out the lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves and discard. Remove half the pumpkin and put to one side.
Purée the rest of the pumpkin with some of the liquid and put back in the pan with the rest of the liquid and the reserved pumpkin. Add the fish sauce and lime juice and reheat.
Serve the soup with the peanuts, spring onions, chilli and fried basil scattered on top, and the crisp bread for dipping.
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