Thai Curry Pumpkin Soup

This summer I grew some pumpkins and they took off!  In the pictures above you can see this large pumpkin I grew.  Also when I took this photo I was being eaten alive by mosquitoes, hence the strange faces.  I still regret not entering this big boy into the running at the State Fair.  But now I'm left with trying to figure out what to do with the monster.  My solution? Soup.  A delicious savory soup that is delicious.  Plus you can add other things to it to liven it up.  Try cooked red lentils, rice, a slice of dense whole wheat bread or with a drizzle of sesame oil.

The proportions are flexible and I typically adjust everything to taste.

Thai Curry Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 hot chili, de-stemmed
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 quart roasted and pureed pumpkin
• 1 quart veggie stock
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon grated, dried galangal
• 4 makrut lime (also known as kefir lime) leaves
• Pinch dried lemon grass
• 1 cup Fermentology Red Kimchi and whatever liquid is in the pint
• Tamari to taste

Directions:
Add oil to large soup pot and heat over medium/low heat and saute onions until they sweat, add bell pepper and continuing sauteing until limp.  Add garlic. 

At this point I like to puree the onions and bell pepper in a food processor with a little stock.  This will create a smooth soup.  Of course if you have an immersion blender you can use that later.  Return pureed onions and peppers to soup pot. 

Add chili, ginger, lime zest and mix well.  Increase heat to high and add your pureed pumpkin, coconut milk and remaining stock.  Bring to a simmer and add your galangal, makrut lime leaves, lemon grass.  Heat for about 5 minutes (or longer) to allow flavors to meld.  If you have the time, it's well worth keeping this soup on a low simmer for up to an hour.

Add Kimchi liquid to your soup.  Add tamari to taste.

Ladle into a bowl and top with Kimchi.

Enjoy!

Makes enough plenty for a potluck or a dinner party of 5.