Description
Creamy waves of Thai coconut pumpkin soup swirl with rich, warming spices that dance across comfort and exotic flavor profiles. Fragrant lemongrass and ginger blend seamlessly, inviting you to savor each spoonful of this silky culinary journey through Southeast Asian cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin and Vegetables:
- 1.8 kg (3.6 lb) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and chopped into 3 cm (1.2-inch) chunks
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Liquids and Seasonings:
- 2.5 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock, salt-reduced)
- 400 ml (14 oz) can coconut milk, full-fat
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (Maesri recommended)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or substitute with light/regular soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
Optional Garnishes:
- Crispy Asian shallots
- Finely sliced red cayenne pepper
- Fresh coriander leaves
- Roti bread (pan-fried, for dunking)
Instructions
- Warm a spacious, sturdy pot over medium-high heat, drizzling vegetable oil to create a sizzling foundation.
- Introduce diced onions and finely chopped garlic, allowing them to soften and release their aromatic essence for approximately two minutes.
- Incorporate Thai red curry paste, stirring vigorously to awaken its intense, complex flavors for two minutes.
- Fold pumpkin chunks into the fragrant mixture, ensuring each piece is thoroughly coated with the spicy-sweet curry base and sautéed for an additional two minutes.
- Reserve a small portion of coconut milk for later garnishing, then pour in the remaining coconut milk alongside vegetable stock and fish sauce.
- Gently stir the liquid components to create a harmonious blend, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium and allow the soup to bubble softly, transforming pumpkin into tender morsels over eight minutes.
- Deploy a handheld immersion blender to transform the soup into a silky, uniform consistency, adjusting liquid volume if necessary to achieve desired texture.
- Finish by drizzling the reserved coconut milk as a luxurious garnish, creating visual and flavor complexity.
Notes
- Roast pumpkin chunks beforehand to intensify their natural sweetness and develop deeper caramelized flavors before adding to the soup.
- Use fresh homemade vegetable stock for a more vibrant and rich taste compared to store-bought alternatives.
- Select a high-quality Thai red curry paste with balanced spice levels to ensure authentic flavor without overwhelming heat.
- For a vegan version, replace fish sauce with tamari or soy sauce and use coconut cream to maintain creamy texture and depth.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg