Roasted Thai Pumpkin Soup (Low Fat) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 whole butternut pumpkin
1/2 pumpkin, I use kent
3 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 -4 teaspoons chili, I use jar chilli
1 liter chicken stock
1 pinch cumin
1 pinch coriander
1 pinch cardamom
1 star anise (optional)
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons lemongrass, I use minced from a jar
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 (375 g) can skim evaporated milk
3 drops coconut essence

Preparation

Bake whole butternut pumpkin, without seeds but with skin on and cut into portions, in 180 deg C (350 deg F) oven until soft, about 20 minutes.
Peel and seed the half Kent pumpkin and cut into small portions.
Saute onions, garlic and chilli in a little olive oil (or chicken stock, if you want less fat) in a large pan.
Add chicken stock, the kent pumpkin, the spices, herbs and pepper & salt and simmer until soft - remove star anise.
Scrape off roasted pumpkin from skin and add to other ingredients then blend all until smooth.
Mix in skim evaporated milk and essence, more stock may be needed if soup is too thick, re-heat.