Using Seasonal Produce - Pumpkin, Cocont and Lime Soup Recipe

• 1 red chilli, de-seeded, chopped
• 2 stalks lemongrass, chopped (substitute w 6 lemon tree leaves)
• Thumb-size piece of ginger, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Zest of 2 limes
• 1 cup coriander, plus extra for serving
• 1 teasp turmeric
• ½ teasp salt
• 1 x 400ml coconut cream
• 2 tabs olive oil
• 1.5kg pumpkin, peeled, cut into 3cm cubes
• 350g kumara, peeled, cut into 3cm cubes
• 1 ½ cups vegetable stock

Put chilli, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, lime zest, coriander, turmeric and salt into a jug, add a few tablespoons of the coconut cream and, using a stick blender, process until a paste is formed.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and cook the paste for 5 minutes over a medium heat.  Add the pumpkin, kumara, remaining coconut cream and stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.  Pureed using a stick blender, then serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, coriander, and chickpea croutons.

Ingredients for chickpea croutons:

• 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 4 tabs olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teasp salt

Preheat oven to 150 degrees.  Dry chickpeas in a clean tea towel, or put them in the oven for a few minutes.  In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, lime zest, chilli and salt and pour over chickpeas, mixing well to coat each one.  Transfer to a baking dish and bake for an hour or until crunchy.  Give them a good shake/stir from time to time to makes sure they cook evenly.  This makes a more then you will need to garnish the soup so store what is left in an airtight jar.

Recipe courtesy Emma Boyd, Cuisine, 2018 NZ Gardener Garden Diary