RECIPE | Cheat's Thai butternut & prawn soup

Jazz up a packet of bought butternut soup by adding some heat and coconut milk. If you don't have prawns, replace with cubes of chicken breast

Thai butternut and prawn soup.
Thai butternut and prawn soup. (Christoph Hoffman)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

15ml (1 tbsp) Thai red curry paste

250g ready-prepared cubes of fresh butternut, cut into smaller pieces

1 x 400g can coconut milk

1 x 600g packet of ready-made, fresh butternut soup

250g prawns, deveined, unshelled with heads on

10ml (2 tsp) fish sauce

Juice of 1 lime or small lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh coriander, to serve

Method:

  1. In a large pan, preheat the curry paste and add the butternut cubes. Stir-fry for 3 minutes.
  2. Pour over the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer and cook till butternut is just tender.
  3. Add the butternut soup and heat through before adding the prawns (save some for garnish), fish sauce and lime juice. Check seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes before serving.
  4. Top with the saved prawns, which have been cooked in a little boiling water and drained. Top with coriander.