Louella Berryman

A lot has changed since I last wrote a recipe for this site. The whole world has turned upside down, we’re all stuck in our homes with not a lot else to do other than watch Netflix, dig out that old exercise DVD and cook.

For some people that probably sounds like heaven, for me, it’s a nightmare. Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook and am a huge fan of a Netflix binge every once in a while, but the idea of not being able to enjoy simple pleasures like visiting my favourite spot for wine by the common, or eating salty, cheese-filled khachapuri at a restaurant I love is sad and unsettling.

Instead of focusing on what I can’t do, I’ve been trying to enjoy cooking with what I have, taking a break from the ambitious recipes in books and magazines and getting back to whatever’s in the cupboard.

This soup recipe is something borne out of a can of coconut milk in the cupboard and a slight soft squash in the fridge. It’s a fresh, healthy take on a kind of comfort food and is really simple to put together, you could even skip the squash and replace with anything you have in the fridge, mushrooms, peppers or sweet potato would all be tasty alternatives – just remember to peel the sweet potato first.

Ingredients

300g butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 x 400g can of coconut milk

2 x nests of medium egg noodles

100g greens (spring greens, spinach, pak choi – whatever you have)

2 x tablespoons of Thai red curry paste

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 x limes

1 x spring onion

How to make it

Heat the oil in a large pan on a medium heat, add the Thai red curry paste and stir for a few moments until it starts to give off that lovely fragrant smell of garlic and lemongrass.

Add your butternut squash and stir, coating it in the oil and curry paste. Fry for 5 minutes until the squash starts to get a nice golden coating. If it starts to stick, add a little water and scrape the spicy goodness off the bottom of the pan with a spatula.

Pour in the coconut milk, cover the pan with a lid and simmer away for 15 minutes. Test the squash with a fork, if it’s tender, add the noodles and 300ml of water and cook for 5 minutes.

Add your greens, the juice of one lime and the soy sauce and simmer for a further few minutes until the greens are slightly wilted.

Serve in bowls with a wedge of lime and sliced spring onion on top. You could also add chopped peanuts and fresh coriander, if you have it (I didn’t).