I am a terrible person.

I know, I know, I know, I was supposed to update a couple of days ago, but sometimes life gets in the way and you get distracted by other things.

Like this lemon curd that I’ve since used to make these crepes, these bars and these mini cheesecakes!

And these cookies that are the definition of heaven-sent.

So although I’ve been procrastinating updating the blog, I haven’t been off doing bugger-all, in fact I’ve been testing, editing and writing lots of new stuff for you lovelies to enjoy in the year to come. So it works out in everyone’s benefit really 😄

Onto today’s meal. Soup. And no- soup is not for the senile and toothless, soup can be a delicious appetizer that can be enjoyed by people of any age regardless of what their dental situation is. And this soup is not for the faint-hearted, it bites back. Hard. No worries if you’re not a fan of chilli and spice, I won’t judge you (out loud) you can just choose to reduce the amount of curry powder you add, omit it all together, or increase the amount of coconut milk you add when serving. f you’re not a fan of butternut, you can swap it out for another vegetable like pumpkin or cauliflower with this recipe, you will just have to adjust the cooking times as necessary.

My favourite part of this dish is actually serving it, spooning the hot soup into bowls and getting to make really pretty and unique patterns at the top with the coconut milk. That’s probably what I love the most, no two dishes will ever look the same. If you want to be fancy-schmancy, you can choose to garnish your soup with toasted coconut flakes and a mint leaf. All you have to do is heat a non-stick skillet on high heat, and add desiccated coconut/coconut flakes to the pan and cook for about a minute or until the coconut is lightly browned. Simple!

This soup works really well as a starter, served with homemade bread, or as a light lunch when you feel like being posh and minimalistic.

Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup                                                                                           Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps olive oil
• ½ yellow onion; sliced
• 3 cloves garlic; minced
• a thumb of ginger, grated (about 2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp minced lemongrass
• 2 tsp red curry paste (homemade with this recipe)
• 1 medium butternut; diced into 1 inch cubes
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp dessicated coconut (optional)
• Couple of sprigs of mint (optional)

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large and heavy bottomed cast iron pot on high, and fry the onions until translucent, about 2 minutes
2. Add the minced garlic, ginger and lemongrass and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Then add the curry paste, stirring to coat the spices in the mixture  and cook for 2 minutes.
3.  Throw in the butternut, cauliflower and carrots followed by the turmeric, cardamom and basil. Toss with a wooden spoon to ensure the vegetables are coated with spice.
4. Pour in the 2 cups of vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to low and cooking until the butternut pieces are fork tender – between 20 and 25 minutes.
5. Once the butternut has softened, remove the pot from heat and use an immersion blender to bring it all together. If you find that the soup is too thick then add vegetable broth 1/4 cup at a time until it’s loose enough for you. If you find that it’s too thin then return the pot to the stove and boil for 5 minutes or so until reduced to your liking.
6. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. To create lovely patterns in your soup, carefully pour the coconut milk over the soup, moving the measuring cup over the bowl so as to create a pattern on the surface of the soup. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately, this soup can keep for up to 3 days refrigerated, but it must be heated up on the stove before consumption.