Thai Pumkin Soup

Ok so we have carved the pumpkins but what to do with the unwanted scraped out flesh? Well although I do like pumpkin pie it is a bit of an acquired taste, so my favourite is a Thai influenced soup.

This warming soup, is a colourful addition to a Halloween party table but also a welcome treat for the grown-ups. Served with warm toasted bread, which you could Halloween-up into mini tombstones, marked up with edible ink. (edible ink pens are fab I just keep finding more and more uses for them!). This soup has got to be one of my favourite recipes and also one of the easiest. If you go easy on the chillies, it also goes down well with the kids because of the natural sweet flavour of the pumpkin. I bulked it out with butternut squash because actually you don't get that much pumpkin flesh out when carving a lantern and also because I have been nurturing the puniest butternut squash you have ever seen nearly all year in the garden. After all the care and attention I have lavished on it, I needed a fitting dish to reflect my efforts.

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 25g butter
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 2 small fresh red chillies, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass
• Kaffir Lime leaf
• 500ml chicken stock, I think it's nicer with chicken stock but obviously vegetable stock will do if cooking for veggies.
• 350ml coconut milk
• 475g peeled and diced pumpkin or squash (or both as in my case and sweet potatoes would work easily well)
• 1 bunch fresh basil leaves  

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil and butter over low heat. Cook garlic, shallots, chillies and lemon grass until fragrant (be careful not to burn the garlic). Stir in chicken stock, coconut milk and pumpkin; bring to the boil. Add. the Kaffir lime leaf for a more authentic Tai taste. Cook until pumpkin softens. Some websites say cook for about 15 to 20 minutes but I think it's better if cooked slowly for 45minutes or more.
2. In a blender, blend the soup in batches to a smooth or slightly chunky consistency, whatever you prefer. We like it really smooth. Serve garnished with basil leaves or if you are feeling decadent a swirl of cream or yoghurt.