Low Fat Thai Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

Making this soup, is one of the nicest things to cook to awaken the senses. The smell of the Thai flavours mingling together in the pot, brings me straight back to the streets of Bangkok. I only wish that I could share smells with you as well as visual and written parts of this blog as the recipe is a truly fantastic example of how smells of food evoke such wonderful feeling of wellness.The sweetness of the squash and sweet potato contrast so well with the smell of shallots, ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves. It all just works!!!
I went for a Thai massage yesterday with my sister in law in Killarney (me???, spoilt??, yea!) and for 1-2 hours was transported to Thailand. The incense and the ginger tea, the welcoming gentleness of the Thai therapists, just made me want to cook something to bring us back to those five weeks we backpacked around Thailand years ago.

This soup, although has some coconut milk, it is reduced fat milk and I only use 200mls. Simply just to give the hint of coconut. The rest of the ingredients for the soup are very healthy, in fact the natural medicinal healing properties of all the ingredients on their own, make this an incredible wellness soup, especially if you have been suffering from a recent flu or cold. According to your own liking, you may wish for a heat that's more intense, if so add a full red chilli. Be warned though, the heat intensifies over night, so if you are planning to have this soup over a few days, it very well might blow your head off on day three. Another addition to this soup, perhaps for a dinner party, might be to add some raw prawns and gently heat in the soup until cooked.


Serves 6-8 bowls of soup. Can be kept for up to 3 days refrigerated.

Ingredients

• 1/2 a butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 regular sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1/2 red chilli, deseeded and diced
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 lemongrass stick
• 2 shallots
• 700ml of chicken stock
• 200ml of reduced fat coconut milk
• 2 tsp of fish sauce
• Juice from one lime
• 4 tbsp of fresh coriander
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil.

Method

1. Fry the shallot, ginger, chilli, garlic in the pan with the oil.
2. Add the squash, potato, lime leaves, lemon grass and stir for a few minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock and fish sauce and bring to the boil.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Blitz the soup smooth with a hand held blender
6. Add the coconut milk.
7. Stir through with the fresh coriander and lime juice.