Thai Pumpkin Soup

Sasha:

I came up with this recipe on my own after cooking lots of thai soups, and a quite a few pumpkin soups behind me.

1Tbs oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

4 1/4" slices galanga (leave the skin on)

4 1/4" slices ginger

2 kaffir lime leaves, crushed

4 1" slices  lemon grass

6 cloves garlic

6 cups water

3 cups  kambucha squash/ thai pumpkin, quartered 

1tsp soy sauce or Braggs

1 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

Curry powder to taste

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/2 lime 

Heat the oil in a stock pot, and quickly fry the onion, carrot, galanga, ginger, kaffir leaves, lemon grass and garlic just until the onion becomes clear.  

Pour in the water, and place the squash quarters into the soup stock mix, boil the pumpkin for 25 minutes or until it is tender.

Pull out the pumpkin quarters and set aside until cool, then scoop out the tender flesh and discard the skin.  Put the pumpkin into a mortar to turn it into puree. 

Add the salt, curry powder, soy sauce, and sugar to the stock.

Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the solids in the soup stock, putting the onion and carrot in with the pumpkin puree, and discarding the kaffir lime leaves, galanga, ginger, and lemon grass.  grind the carrots and onion in with the pumpkin, then mix back into the soup stock.

Check the seasoning, and let simmer for another 20 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk then turn off the heat.  Squeeze the lemon half into the soup, stir, and serve.