A fresh warming soup - the flavors of fall with kabocha squash and crunchy peanuts.
1/2 lemongrass stalk, pounded
1 onion or shallot, sliced
1 hot pepper, sliced
1/2-inch ginger, peeled and sliced thick
1/2 pound fresh peanuts, shelled
12 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin or other sweet white wine
1 medium sized kabocha squash, cubed
1/2 pound mushrooms, roasted (optional)
Coconut milk (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lime
Pound your lemon grass stalk with the hilt of your knife, to soften the leaves and break them apart. Add to soup pot with onion, hot pepper (optional), ginger, fresh peanuts, water, salt and oil. Simmer for 20-25 Minutes, until the peanuts soften. Add kabocha squash, soy sauce and mirin. Simmer until squash is soft, 15-20 min. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cut up a lime, and serve with a squeeze. Add mushrooms if you like! It is a delicious addition, but only if you enjoy mushrooms, so I roasted them with oil and salt to add later. Coconut milk will add a lot of body to this soup, but will tone down the herbaceous aromas.
