Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for butternut squash with noodles

This might be a middle-aged factor, nevertheless it solely takes one thing small to make my day. Often, that’s bumping right into a buddy on the varsity run, recognizing a cheeky inexperienced parakeet within the tree-tops or lighting just a few candles at dinner within the night. On the subject of meals and at present’s recipe, nevertheless, I fairly childishly prefer to say the phrases “noodle soup” out loud, as if my mouth is pursing in anticipation of the noodles. I really like utilizing a complete butternut squash in a dish – that’s the place a cook dinner’s satisfaction lies. And, for my sins, I like slurping the noodles out of the bowl.

Fragrant butternut squash and coconut noodle soup

Be happy to tone down the chillies, for those who favor. You should purchase recent makrut lime leaves from most large UK supermarkets or cheaper, frozen ones from Chinese language and south-east Asian specialists. Thai Style makes one of the best vegan fish sauce. You’ll want a blender for this dish.

Prep 15 min
Prepare dinner 1 hr
Serves 4

1 medium butternut squash (1kg), halved, deseeded, peeled and reduce into 2cm items
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
6 recent makrut lime leaves (or frozen and defrosted), deveined and chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, bottoms solely, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
3 inexperienced finger chillies, chopped
3 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste
1¾ tsp effective sea salt, or to style
400ml tin coconut milk
2 tbsp agave syrup
2½ tbsp vegan fish sauce, or to style

To complete
250g ramen noodles
25g Thai basil, leaves picked
1 lime, quartered

Warmth the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/gasoline 9. Put the squash chunks on a big oven tray lined with reusable baking paper, drizzle over the oil and toss to coat. Unfold out right into a single layer, then roast for 25 minutes. Put aside about 20 items of the roast squash, and tip the remaining right into a blender with 800ml water. Blitz easy, then pour right into a jug.

With out rinsing the blender, drop within the garlic, lime leaves, lemongrass, onion, chillies, sun-dried tomato paste and salt with about 150ml of the coconut milk and blitz to a easy paste. Put a big saucepan on a medium warmth and, as soon as it’s sizzling, add the paste and cook dinner, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the liquidised squash, the remaining 250ml coconut milk and the agave syrup, then convey to a quick boil. Add the fish sauce to style – I used two and a half tablespoons – then take off the warmth.

Prepare dinner the noodles in line with the packet directions, then drain and rinse. Reheat the coconut soup, if want be, then distribute between 4 bowls. Divide the noodles between the bowls, prime with the reserved chunks of squash and a small handful every of picked Thai basil, spritz the lime excessive and serve.