Thai Crab Soup with Pear Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

1 red onion
1 garlic clove
1 chilli
1 lime
A thumb of ginger
1 tbsp Thai green curry paste
1 butternut squash
150g plain flour
A hanful of coriander
2 pears
2 tbsp olive oil
100g white crab meat
800ml boiling water
4-5 tbsp water
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 20-25 mins

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Method

1. Peel the onion and cut into quarters. Set one of the quarters aside. Roughly chop the rest. Peel and slice the garlic. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut the chilli in half and flick out most of the seeds. Finely chop and put a pinch of it in a bowl (you’ll use the rest in step 3). Zest the lime.

2. Cut the butternut squash in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and discard (or roast for a snack). Chop the squash (no need to peel) into 2cm chunks.

3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan. Tip in the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and the remaining chilli. Cook for 3 mins till fragrant. Stir in 1 tbsp curry paste. Add the squash. Pour in 800ml boiling water. Cover and simmer for 20 mins till the squash is soft.

4. Meanwhile, finely chop the coriander stalks (save the leaves for later). Tip the flour into a bowl, reserving 1 tbsp for later. Add the coriander stalks. Pour in 1 tbsp oil and 4-5 tbsp water. Knead to form a smooth dough. Set aside to rest while you make the salsa and soup.

5. Finely chop the reserved onion quarter. Pop into the chopped chilli bowl. Peel and core the pears. Chop into small chunks and add to the bowl. Spoon in the white crab meat. Squeeze the lime juice over and stir well. Put in the fridge to marinate.

6. When the squash is soft, blend till smooth with a hand-held blender. Alternatively, blitz in a blender. You may need to do this in batches. Return to the pan. Set over a low heat. Add the lime zest. Taste. and adjust the seasoning.

7. While the soup keeps warm, make the coriander flatbreads. Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll out into large thin circles. Heat a frying pan or griddle over a medium heat. Cook the flatbreads for 2-3 mins on each side till brown spots appear.

8. Roughly chop the coriander leaves and add to the crab and pear salsa. Season. Serve the soup in warmed bowls with the salsa generously piled on top and the flatbreads on the side.