Pumpkin and prawn soup

 

This is a simple pumpkin and prawn soup recipe serving 2. It’s ready in 30 minutes or so.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
• ½ lemongrass stalk, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces pumpkin
• 1 ½ cups of coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon of demerara sugar
• 1 cup of frozen prawns, defrosted and shelled
• A small handful of fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

Put the onion, garlic, chilli, lemongrass and olive oil in a blender, and make a purée.

Transfer the purée to a medium cooking pot over medium-high heat, and cook for 2-3 minutes until it has reduced in volume.

Add the water and pumpkin, and cook covered for about 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

Reduce the heat. Stir in the coconut milk and sugar, and add the prawns and basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a further 7 minutes, and serve.

Adapted from “Thai & South-East Asian Cooking & Far Eastern Classics” published in 2006