, How to Video, Step by step

Thai butternut squash broth with noodles

An easy aromatic Thai-inspired recipe, packed full of seasonal ingredients, for a filling and delicious dish.

Mark Stower, Director of Food and Service

Preparation Time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 45 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 tbs oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Garlic clove, sliced
2 tsp Thai green curry paste
400ml Coconut milk
400ml Vegetable bouillon/ stock
1 x tbs Brown sugar
1 tsp Coriander stalks, finely chopped
400g Squash, diced
10 Florets of Broccoli
1 x red chili, sliced
1 x red and yellow peppers, sliced
300g Cooked egg noodles
To garnish
Coriander leaves
Handful of toasted sesame seeds t

Method

Step 1

To make the Thai green broth, pour ½ the oil into a large pan with ½ the diced onion and cook over a low heat for 2 - 3 minutes to soften.
Step 2

Add the garlic slices and cook for a further minute.
Step 3

Stir in the Thai green curry paste and cook for a further minute.
Step 4

Add the coconut milk, the vegetable bouillon or stock and bring to the boil, stirring gently.
Step 5

Stir in the brown sugar, chopped coriander stalks and simmer broth for 30 minutes.
Step 6

In a separate large sauté pan, add the remaining oil, the rest of the onion and cook over a low heat for 2 minutes.
Step 7

Add the diced squash and cover with a lid. Cook on a low heat for approximately 5 minutes.
Step 8

Take the lid off the pan and add the broccoli, chilli and peppers, leaving a small well in the centre for the egg noodles.
Step 9

Place the cooked egg noodles in the middle of the pan.
Step 10

Pour the Thai green broth into the pan, replace the lid and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, ensuring the vegetables are cooked.
Step 11

To serve, place the noodles, vegetables and broth mix into bowls.
Step 12

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and coriander leaves.

Nutrition

Autumn is the season for a wonderful array of squash, in all shapes, sizes and colours, which look beautiful as well as tasting good.

Squashes belong to the same family as melons, cucumbers, and courgettes. They are one of the oldest known crops, possibly from around 10,000 years ago.

They originated in the Americas, where they were one of the staple foods of the native people of this continent, grown alongside maize and beans, and their name comes from the word ‘askutasquash’, meaning ‘eaten raw or uncooked’.

Although low in calories, squash is nutritionally rich. The bright orange and yellow colours of the flesh of squash are provided by carotene pigments, which our bodies convert to vitamin A – important for healthy skin, vision, and the immune system. Squash also provides vitamin C.

The squash in Mark’s recipe provides just over one of your 5 A Day portions and the broccoli, peppers, and onion in the recipe contribute another two, so the whole dish provides around three of your daily five portions – an easy and delicious way to eat more vegetables!

DR JULIET GRAY, COMPANY NUTRITIONIST