Oriental Hot and Sour Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

3 Roma Tomatoes (finely diced)
1 large Shallot (finely diced)
4 cloves Garlic (finely diced)
1 large piece Ginger (finely diced)
1/2 Red Onion (diced)
2 stalks Lemongrass
1/2 Pie Pumpkin (roasted, peeled, and diced)
4-5 Tsien Tsien Peppers (if dehydrated, wrap in cheesecloth)
1 can Coconut Milk
1/2 Pie Pumpkin (roasted and pureed)
Chives
4 oz Roasted Red Chili Paste
1 can Baby Corn
7 cups Chicken Stock
Juice from Lime
1 oz Wood Ear Mushrooms
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Mirin
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Nuoc Mam
1 bunch Cilantro
1/2 lb Mussels
1/2 lb Shrimp
3/4 lb Squid
10 oz Thai Noodles

Step 1:

Saute the shallots, onion, and garlic in oil (I used a bit of garlic infused olive oil) until tender. Add the tomatoes, lemon grass and pumpkin and sweat for about 10 minutes.

Step 2:

In the meantime, combine the pumpkin puree and the coconut milk.

Step 3:

Add this to the vegetables. Drain, and add the corn. Allow to cook for about 6 minutes while stirring constantly so the puree doesn’t burn.

Step 4:

Add the chicken stock, chives, mushrooms, lime, sugar, mirin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, tsien tsiens.

simmer for a couple of hours to thicken it.

In the meantime, peel and vein the shrimp, clean the mussels, and clean and cut the squid.

Step 5:

Add the noodles to the soup and cook until el dente. Add the seafood and cook for about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and finish the soup with the cilantro.

Step 6:

Garnish with some mussels topped with chopped tomato and cilantro.