Pumpkin and Coconut Cream Soup

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Title: Pumpkin and Coconut Cream Soup
Categories: Soups, Thai
Yield: 4 servings

400 g Pumpkin; peeled
-- cut into 2 cm cubes
1 tb Lemon or lime juice
100 g Green (uncooked) prawns
-OR- dried shrimp
2 md Onions
1/4 ts Shrimp paste
2 Fresh chilies; seeded OR...
2 ts -Roasted chili paste (opt.)
1 tb Finely chopped lemon grass
300 ml Water
750 ml Coconut milk
--(reserve thick cream)
1 tb Fish sauce
1 ts Sugar
1/2 ts Pepper
80 g Fresh basil leaves
--(reserve some for garnish)

Sprinkle lemon or lime juice over pumpkin and leave to stand for 20
minutes. Shell and devein fresh prawns or wash dried shrimp.

In a food processor, blend together prawns, onions, shrimp paste, chillies,
lemon grass and a little water until they form a smooth paste.

Mix together water and thin coconut milk in a large saucepan. Add the
paste, fish sauce, sugar and pepper, whisking to combine thoroughly. Bring
mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and add pumpkin. Simmer over low heat
until pumpkin is tender, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Just before serving, stir in basil leaves and thick coconut cream. Garnish
with a few basil leaves.

Adapted by Karen Mintzias, from a recipe in: "Thai Cooking Class" by Somi
Anuntra Miller & Patricia Lake

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