This is my favourite soup ever….I can’t credit anyone as I was given a very old copy from a friend but whoever thought of the recipe thank you. I make this very often…..I love it and my son loves it! It is gluten free as long as you use gluten free stock and thai curry paste.

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of coriander
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 80ml olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 heaped tbsp thai red curry paste ( or less if you don’t like it too spicy)
• 1 kg butternut squash cut into cubes ( you can leave the skin on but it will be smoother without the skin)
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 400ml can light coconut milk

1. To make the pesto, blitz all but a few reserved coriander leaves with the lemon zest and juice and the garlic in a food processor. Add 60ml of the oil slowly to make a sauce consistency. Season to taste
2. Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan over a low heat and add the onion. Stir for a minute and then add the ginger and curry paste stirring for another minute.
3. Add the butternut squash and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for fifteen minutes until the butternut squash is cooked. Cool slightly then blend until smooth.
4. Add the coconut milk and season then warm again in the saucepan.
5. Serve the soup with the coriander pesto and a few coriander leaves.

You don’t have to have the pesto but the zingy flavour is delicious with the spicy soup. If you want to make this lower fat you could replace the coconut milk with low fat yoghurt. I’ve done that, it’s still good, not quite the same but good enough.