CHILLED THAI PUMPKIN & MELON SOUP with coconut, peanut & chili crunch
This recipe came together the week I was craving chilled soups and coconut milk-based curries. The base of pumpkin, melon and coconut milk all bring a lot of sweetness to the dish. The ginger and chili add a little bit of heat to the party and the coconut yoghurt blended with mint adds a cooling contrast to balance everything out. The crunchy coconut and peanut crunch that goes on top offers textural contrast and some warming flavours to an otherwise super refreshing dish.
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 kg Pumpkin, Peeled and cubed
- 500 g Cantaloupe Melon, Peeled and cubed
- 80 g Ginger
- 30 g Turmeric
- 1 Lt Coconut milk
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 3 Spring onions
- 3 stalks Lemongrass
- Lime juice
Coconut peanut chilli crunch
- 100 g Dessicated coconut
- 100 g Oeanuts, Blanched
- 5 g Dried chili flakes
- Basil
- Salt
METHOD
- Peel the melon, cut it into chunks and place it in the freezer immediately. (Make extra, these are amazing little snacks).
- Take the ginger, turmeric and lemongrass and lightly crush with the side of a knife or the backside of a frying pan. Tie these up into a bundle with some string for easy removal later.80 g Ginger, 30 g Turmeric, 3 stalks Lemongrass
- For the soup, place a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped garlic, spring onion as well as your ginger, turmeric and lemongrass bundle along with 3 tablespoons of oil.5 cloves Garlic, 3 Spring onions
- Cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes or until very fragrant.
- Add the sliced pumpkin and stir to coat in the flavoured oil. Season lightly with salt.1.5 kg Pumpkin
- Add the coconut milk until the pumpkin is just covered and bring up to a boil.1 Lt Coconut milk
- Immediately reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is very tender.
- Remove the turmeric, ginger and lemongrass and place the contents of the pot into a blender. Blend on high until nice and smooth.
- Add the frozen melon to the blender and continue to blend until it is nice and smooth once again.
- Allow this to cool completely before seasoning lightly with lime.Lime juice
- For the crunchy topping, season the coconut flakes lightly with a few drops of oil as well as a sprinkling of salt. Spread them out onto a tray and place into an oven set to 160C. Toast for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.100 g Dessicated coconut
- Repeat the process for the peanuts and chop them into small pieces.100 g Oeanuts
- Once both the nuts and the coconut have come to room temperature, combine with the salt, chili flakes and chopped herbs.5 g Dried chili flakes, Salt, Basil
- Serve the soup chilled topped with a liberal sprinkling of the crunchy peanut chilli mixture.
PRO TIPS
The peanut, chilli, coconut crunch goes great on a number of southeast Asian dishes. Use liberally in stir-fries, noodle dishes, curries and soups.
As a dish, this makes for a great light starter or if you’re trying to impress and going for multiple courses or your own little tasting menu, a chilled soup is incredibly quick to plate and in this case, makes an excellent amuse-bouche and also works as a pre-dessert because of it’s sweet, savoury, cooling crossover!
If you're pouring this straight from the fridge, give the soup a quick stir as the coconut milk will firm everything up a little.