Coconut and chilli pumpkin soup

Despite having a fairly long list of ingredients, trust me, it is a doddle to make.  After a few minutes of chopping, frying and simmering; everybody will be impressed with this beauty.

Splash of veg oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
½ football sized pumpkin (or butternut squash), peeled, deseeded and chopped into small chunks
1 apple, cored and roughly chopped
3 vegetable stock cubes
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tin coconut milk
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 small pack fresh coriander, chopped
Pepper
Soy sauce (instead of salt)

1. Put the oil in a large saucepan

2.  Sweat off the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until it just starts to colour.
 
3.  Add the pumpkin, apple and chilli.  Continue to sweat until the pumpkin starts to break up a little.

4. Add the ground spices and stock cubes along with 1.5 litres of water (boiling water from a kettle speeds things along here).

5. Simmer for 15 minutes.  Check that the vegetables are completely soft.

6. Add ¾ of the tin of coconut milk, reserving the last bit for a garnish later.


7. Whizz the soup up using your preferred method of blending.  We think a jug blender is best but a food processor or hand blender is fine to use.
8. The more you blend, the smoother and silkier the soup will become.  It is up to you to decide how you want it but we prefer it really silky and velvety.

Taste the soup to check the seasoning.  The stock cubes will have added saltiness and the chilli some pepper flavour, but you may think it needs more.  Add soy sauce for a salty flavour and pepper if you think it’s necessary. 

Finally, throw in the chopped fresh coriander and give a brief stir.  Ladle into serving bowls and drizzle with that last bit of coconut milk to garnish.

This is lovely served with mini naan breads and a swirl of sweet chilli.

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