Thai-style butternut squash soup

Hello everyone! Can you believe we’re already two weeks into the new year? Last weekend, Richa and I reluctantly took down our pretty Christmas tree and that was that for 2017. I spent the holidays with my family in sunny Dubai and have been shivering ever since I got back. I know not everyone loves soup (I do, obviously) but January is prime weather for a bowl of something quick and piping hot after a long day. This Thai-style soup from Tom Kerridge is all kinds of delicious. I opted for half butternut squash and half sweet potato (handily pre-cubed in most supermarkets), and their hearty sweetness is beautifully offset by the fragrance and flavours of ginger, garlic, lemongrass and red chillies and then smoothed over with a splash of coconut milk. I was happy because it gave me a chance to  use the new food processor Richa got me for Christmas. This is a thick and velvety-smooth soup that will keep you full for hours so it’s perfect if your New Year’s resolution is to be a little healthier this year. 

I don’t know about resolutions, they have such a terrible reputation. But I think there is a time, when you come to the end of something, for reflection. 2017 was a year that saw my certainty and shook it up. This year, of course I want to eat better, exercise more, work hard, play hard, write more. Those are ongoing goals and battles for every day, month and year. But my actual resolution for 2018 is to be more reckless. By that, I don’t necessarily mean being foolhardy, just more daring in going after what I want. 

A good example is this recipe. I saw it in the Sunday Times, thought ‘ooh, this is definitely something I would like’ and then bookmarked it for later. But as I did it, it struck me how often I, with more cookbooks than any girl could ever use, have bookmarked recipes for another time and then never looked at them again, sticking instead to what I already know. I think we are all guilty of putting off our desires for another day when we feel more ready, whether it’s about time or money or whatever. But that day may never come, you know? We have a finite, unknown number of days on this earth to live, love and enjoy. Call me a millennial in search of instant gratification but time is relentless; it just marches on by without any care for how many dreams you realise. And while I rarely do anything I don’t want to do, there are so many things I have sidelined for ‘tomorrow’. 

So what will I actually do differently this year? Well, for starters, I made this soup the same day I found the recipe and it was downright delicious. Later that week, I saw a mystery getaway (destination and departure date unknown) and signed up for it with Jess and Niluja. And then I messaged Svetlana about the bungee jump tickets she bought for us last year and never redeemed. We’re finally going to do it in February.

I know it isn’t always easy to be reckless but I’d rather regret doing something than doing nothing. I’m a fully-functioning adult but there is this wild thing inside of me that I don’t let out enough. I’m already in my twenties - if not now, then when? So here’s hoping for a year of recklessness, of paying no caution to consequence, of daring to go after whatever your heart wants...or craves ;) Here’s hoping for adventure. 

Thai-style butternut squash soup

Serves 4. Recipe taken from Lose Weight for Good by Tom Kerridge.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 lemongrass stems, tough outer layers removed, and finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2.5cm piece of ginger, grated
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp good-quality Thai red curry paste (40g)
• 1.2kg peeled and diced butternut squash
• 600ml fresh vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 200ml tinned half-fat coconut milk

To finish

• 1 long red chilli, finely sliced or a sprinkle of red chilli flakes
• A handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over a high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if they start to stick. Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger and red chilli and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the curry paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the butternut squash, veg stock and fish sauce and bring up to a gentle simmer. Put a lid on the pan and simmer gently for 25 minutes or until the squash has softened.

Pour in the coconut milk, stir well and cook, uncovered, for a further 5 minutes.

Using a jug blender, blitz the soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pan and place over a gentle heat. If the soup is a little thin, simmer for a few minutes more; if it’s too thick, add a splash more water.

Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper if needed. Divide between warmed bowls and top with sliced red chilli and chopped coriander. Grind a little extra black pepper over each serving, too.

Notes: Instead of 1.2kg of butternut squash, I used 1kg of butternut squash and sweet potato. You could also add another red chilli to the soup for a little extra heat.