Spicy pumpkin soup
"This Soup warms the heart and soul. Have it for dinner then lunch the next day, then add pasta and cheese to what's left and bake for dinner the following night. A value packed recipe that you and your inner chef can do wonders with."
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 1 chicken
- 1 whole star anise
- 3cm cut fresh ginger
- 3 spring onions
- 1 teaspoon lemon grass
- 2 cloves smashed garlic
- White pepper
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 kaffir lime leaf
- 1 to 2 red chilli chopped and de-seeded
- 1 6 inch stick celery
- 500 g pumpkin
- 1/2 tin of reduced cream
- Chopped coriander
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce, additional
- 2 tablespoons of water
- Red chilli with a few of the seeds, chopped
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
Method
- Place chicken, star anise, cut ginger, spring onions, lemon grass, garlic, pepper, salt, 1 Tsp fish sauce, kaffir lime leaf , celery , 1 tsp corriander and chilli into a large pot and cover with water and simmer for at least 2 hours.
- Keep an eye on the water level as you want about 1 and a half litres of stock.
- After at least 2 hours lift chicken onto a plater to cool.
- The chicken can be used for sandwiches or what ever you like - Its the stock we are after for this recipe.
- Strain the stock into a clean pot. Discard the rest of the ingredients
- Add the chopped deseeded pumpkin to the stock.
- Bring to the boil and simmer until the pumpkin is cooked -About 30 mins.
- Once cooked cool abit and blend. Be careful here, I usually take the pumpkin out and blend with a little stock then return to the pot. Safety First.
- At this stage you can put it in the fridge for later or continue as follows.
- Add half a tin of reduced cream to the pumpkin soup and mix and heat but do not boil.
- This soup is now ready to enjoy!
I like to serve Vietnamese dipping sauce on the table for those who like it hot.
A teaspoon or two added to the soup for some extra zing.
Prepare the Vietnamese dipping sauce by combining the following ingredients in a small bowl.
1 tablespoon chopped coriander
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons cold water
1 chopped red chilli
1 teaspoon brown sugar