Thai Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Serves 6-8

This is a Guest Recipe from BBC Good Food.   Halve the recipe if just cooking for four.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 leeks, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 good-size butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 4 cm chunks

2 x 400ml cans coconut milk

3 lemongrass

Snipped chives to garnish

AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO....

1. Heat the oil in a large pan with half teaspoon salt and some pepper.   Add the leeks and potatoes, cook for five minutes over a medium heat, stirring constantly.
   
   
2. Add the garlic and squash and continue to cook for abut ten minutes to give everything a bit of colour.
   
   
3. Add the coconut milk and one litre water, or enough to cover the mixture.
   
   
4. Place the lemongrass on a board and crush it with the flat end of a cleaver or knife, then add to the soup, turn up the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes until the legs are soft and well cooked.
   
   
5. Remove the lemongrass.
   
   
6. Blend the soup until smooth (the soup should be thick, but add a slash of water if it becomes too thick).
   
   
7. Return to the saucepan and put back on to re-heat.
   
   
8. Taste and season, then serve with a garnish of snipped chives and maybe a swirl of creme fraiche.