This chicken-and-butternut soup is the best

Sometimes, what the body needs is just a plain bowl of soup. But sometimes, what the soul needs is a soup with attitude - soups like this one - with butternut, lots of Asian flavour, chicken meatballs, and (wait for it) prawn toast.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 2 T fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced
  • 1 kg butternut, peeled and cubed
  • 1 x 400 g can coconut milk
  • 2 cups Woolworths Organic Chicken Stock
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 x 600 g punnet Woolworths Chicken Frikkadels
  • 4 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 2 t soya sauce
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • Basil, for serving
  • Coriander, for serving
  • Mint, for serving
For the prawn toast:
  • 200 g prawn meat
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 T fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 free range egg white
  • 1 t soya sauce
  • 3 slices white bread, crusts removed and cut into quarters
  • 1 free range egg, lightly beaten
  • 50 g sesame seeds

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife.
  2. Add the lemongrass, 1 T ginger, garlic and chilli to the pan. Cook for 2–4 minutes or until fragrant.
  3. Add the butternut, coconut milk and stock and simmer for 25–30 minutes or until the butternut is soft. Season with lime juice and blend using a stick blender.
  4. Pan-fry the chicken frikkadels in the oil, with the spring onions, remaining ginger and soya sauce, to make a glaze. (Alternatively, you can break up the chicken frikkadels and mix with the spring onions, remaining ginger and soya sauce. Shape into small balls and pan-fry in the oil until golden brown.) Add to the soup during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
  5. Divide the hot soup between bowls, top with the fresh herbs and serve with the prawn toast on the side.

To make the prawn toast: 

Blend the prawn meat, garlic, ginger, egg white and soya sauce in a food processor. Chill for 30 minutes. Spread the prawn mixture onto one side of the bread, right to the edges. Brush all over with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Shallow-fry until golden brown then drain on kitchen paper.

In the mood for a bowl of soup now?

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