I Cook Coz Cocaine Is Illegal

We are a few weeks into the weirdest winter we’ve had in awhile. With cold mornings but beautiful sunny afternoons…

My husband has been requesting soups of late and he’s never been a fan of pumpkins but, loves a good pumpkin soup. I’ve always had a hard time getting the skin off a pumpkin before roasting a bare naked Pumpkin. With mountains of cookery research, I found out a way that can save you getting stitches and roast a pumpkin to perfection. 

Here’s my Thai Pumpkin Soup recipe…Hope it keeps you warm this cold rainy winter. 

Ingredients

1 whole butternut squash

Olive oil

1 brown onion, skinned

3-4 Garlic cloves, with skin on

2-4 Tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste, (depending on spice preference)

1.5L Chicken or Vegetable Stock

Salt

Pepper

Garnish:-

Chopped Chives

Sour Cream
Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180degrees. Unless, you were prepared to get the  have a bed ready for you in the Royal Perth Burns Unit because you were gonna hold your Pumpkin in the oven for an hour. Get a baking tray ready and line it with aluminium foil and baking paper.

2. Wash and scrub off all grit and sand off pumpkin, and dry it. Rub oil all over pumpkin. Place on prepared baking tray and bake for 1 to 1.5hours depending on your oven. 

3. Towards the end of the Pumpkin cooking time (Last 15mins). Rub olive oil all over the the Onion & Garlic cloves and add to the baking tray and return to the oven. Cook till onion has visibly caramelized. Be mindful that the garlic cloves may finish before the onions and need to be roved from the tray.

4. To check if the Pumpkin is cooked thoroughly. Assault the Pumpkin with a sharp blade and if it slides in easily – Your pumpkin is done! Leave to cool for up to 30mins. When cooled, cut in half scoop out seeds and peel away roasted skin

Tip: 

A. Roasted skin is delicious to munch away at while cooking the soup!

B. Don’t let all those brown liquid in the pan go to waste! Pour it in the soup, the pumpkin’s caramelized sugars!

5. Heat soup pot at medium heat and add olive oil, add Thai Red curry paste and fry till fragrant. 

6. Add pumpkin flesh, onions, squeeze garlic flesh out of clove skins to pot and stir into fragrant Thai paste.

7. Add stock and bring to boil and then let it simmer for 10mins. 

8. Cool Soup slightly before stick blending through the soup till you can a smooth consistency. 

9. Season soup if it requires Salt or Pepper.

10. If you can withold the temptation to drink it straight from the soup pot (more for hygiene reasons). Serve into bowls and garnish with what chopped chives and a dollop of Sour Cream. 

11. Enjoy peeps!!😻