Pumpkin soup with coconut milk

Pumpkin soup with coconut milk is a Halloween staple at our house. I always feed the girls an early dinner before they head out trick-or-treating.

The menu hasn’t varied in years – toasted pumpkin seeds, witches’ fingers (chicken strips rolled in crushed potato chips), steamed green beans and bloodsucking jellies for dessert.

When I lived in Canada I used fresh pumpkin to make this recipe. Since moving to the UK, I find that butternut squash results in a tastier, creamier soup.

Pumpkin soup with coconut milk
(serves 6)

• 1 small red chilli, minced
• 1 stem lemongrass, white part only, sliced crosswise
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 Tb fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Tb sunflower oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 800g cubed, peeled pumpkin (or butternut squash)
• 2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock
• 1 tin coconut milk
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp brown sugar

1. In a mini-chopper, blitz the chilli, lemongrass, coriander, ginger with two tablespoons of water to make a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium flame. Add the onion and cook until softened.
3. Stir in the spice paste and cook a couple of minutes more.
4. Add the pumpkin (or squash) and the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about twenty minutes or until the pumpkin in soft.
5. Blend until smooth, then stir in the coconut milk, fresh coriander and sugar and reheat gently.

Tags: Asian food, butternut squash, coconut milk, dairy-free, gluten-free, lemongrass, vegetarian