Butternut Squash Coconut Soup with Basil Pesto

Directions

1. Get started by peeling and deseeding your butternut squash. Cut it into cubes, roughly 2 cm each. Chop the onion and finely chop the garlic.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a heavy saucepan. Fry the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass paste and fry for another minute. Add the butternut squash, the cinnamon and the chili flakes and fry for another 5 minutes until the butternut squash has heated up and is releasing some of its juices.
3. Add the coconut milk and stock and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the butternut squash is soft.
4. Let the mix cool down a bit and pour into a blender (you might have to do this is batches – don’t overfill the blender unless you want your kitchen exploding with soup). Blend into a smooth soup. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve each portion of soup with a generous tablespoon of good quality pesto.