Recipe: Thai red curry & lemongrass pumpkin soup with crispy wonton strips & chilli oil August 3, 2020

The wonderful Bronni Darné of the absolutely beautiful Instagram page 365wholesomedays (go take a look!) shared this delectable soup made with our pumpkins and onions, and she is kindly sharing the recipe here for you to enjoy!

“There is nothing like the texture and crunch of wonton strips served with soup, salad or a dip,” says Bronni. “You can buy wonton wrappers at most Asian grocery stores, cut them into strips and fry them. But they are super easy to make at home. The key to making perfect crisp and light textured strips is the temperature of the oil. Don’t add the strips before the oil has reached 180C and keep the temperature constant. Too hot and they will brown too quickly on the outside, not hot enough and you’ll get oily soggy strips.

Recipe: Thai red curry & lemongrass pumpkin soup with crispy wonton strips & chilli oil.

500g pumpkin diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 white stalks lemongrass, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp red curry paste
3 cups vegetable broth
1 400g can coconut milk
Coriander to serve
Chilli oil to serve.

Method
Heat a heavy bottomed saucepan with 2 olive oil, then sauté onion until translucent. Add ginger & lemongrass and sauté until fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the curry paste and stir to coat. Add pumpkin and vegetable broth. Place a lid over and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until pumpkin softens. Add the coconut milk. Scoop into a blender and blend until smooth. Add back to the saucepan and gently heat.
Transfer soup into a bowl and garnish with fried wonton strips, chopped coriander, and a swirl of chili oil.

Wonton Strips

1 egg
1/3 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Method
In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Mix in the water. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Create a well in the centre and slowly pour in the egg and water. Mix well. If the mixture is too dry, increase the amount of water until a pliable dough has formed. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until elastic. Cut dough into two balls. Cover with a damp cloth for 10 mins. Cut each ball into four pieces. Roll the pieces into squares and slice into 1 1/2cm strips. Heat about 2cm of oil in a large pan to 180C. Fry in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon when they turn golden. Drain on paper towel-lined plate.