Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Ingredients

• 1 brown onion (diced)
• 1 stalk lemongrass (cut in thirds)
• 1 long red chilli (diced and deseeded)
• 2 tablespoons diced fresh coriander (cilantro stalks/roots)
• 2 cm fresh galangal piece (or 1 teaspoon powder, optional)
• 2 cm turmeric root piece (or 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder)
• 4 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 4 cups pumpkin (peeled and cubed, sweet kind like Kent/Japanese is best)
• 2 garlic cloves (diced)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (use coconut aminos or Tamari as an alternative)
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• Peel from half of fresh lime
• 1/2 cup coconut cream (100 ml / 3.5 fl oz. plus extra to serve (see notes above))
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Coriander/cilantro leaves to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Add the onion, lemongrass, chilli, coriander stalks, galangal, turmeric and kaffir lime leaves to a medium saucepan and sauté in coconut oil over medium heat for 2–3 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the pumpkin, garlic, lime peel, fish sauce and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, covered, until pumpkin is soft when poked with a knife.

3. 3

   Remove the turmeric, galangal, lime peel and lemongrass from the soup and transfer the rest to a food processor or a blender in batches if needed. Purée until smooth, then add the coconut cream and lime juice. Whiz a couple more times to incorporate. Serve with a ripple of coconut cream and fresh coriander leaves on top.