Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup
Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup is what you make when you want something exotic tasting with very little effort! Think – classic pumpkin soup with Thai Red Curry vibes. Love the beautiful coconut undertones. It’s so good!
Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup
Everybody loves pumpkin soup. It’s comforting, it’s thick, it’s creamy, and it’s easy to make.
But sometimes, we want to make dinner a little more interesting! Enter – Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup. Use coconut instead of cream. Add red curry paste. Fish sauce instead of salt. Thai toppings.
And boom! Our reliable pumpkin soup has had a sexy makeover – and we love it!
Ingredients in Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup
We’re using a store bought curry paste today which makes things nice and easy. For the small amount we need (just 3 tablespoons), it’s a convenient option. If using homemade – I applaud you! The flavour in this will be even better, with the beautiful fresh Thai flavours coming through.
THE SOUP
Pumpkin or butternut – Recipe works as written for both pumpkin and butternut squash (we call it butternut pumpkin here in Australia). Use one that is around 1.8 kg / 3.6 lb with the skin on and seeds in. After peeling and deseeding it will be around ~1.3 kg/2.6 lb.
Cutting and peeling – Watch the video for a safe, easy cutting technique for butternut (potato peeler for skin!), and see the Pumpkin Soup video for how I cut pumpkin (cut in wedges then cut skin off).
Thai Red Curry paste – My position on the best store-bought Thai red curry that’s readily available is fairly well documented on this website! Maesri is the best – there is just no question – and it’s the best value. $2.10 for a 115g/4 oz. You’ll need 1/2 a can – so you can make this Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup twice!
Find it at Woolies, Harris Farms and Coles (I’m in Australia), or Asian stores and online. As for other brands – they tend to have less authentic flavour and usually weirdly, overly sweet. However, for a recipe like this where the curry paste is a background rather than key flavour, any curry paste will suffice.
Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste – Recipe here. I generally make then use the whole batch in one go so I rarely have leftovers to use for things like this soup. But it’s an excellent one for freezing, and will really take this to another level. 🙂
Onion and garlic – Essential flavour base. Don’t skip these, they add great flavour.
Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have better flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water and have less coconut flavour. Ayam is my default (89% coconut).
Please use full fat. Fat is where the coconut flavour is! Low fat has little coconut flavour.
Fish sauce will give this soup a more authentic Thai red curry flavour than using just salt. Soy sauce can be used as a substitute.
Vegetable stock – Or chicken stock. This is the liquid the pumpkin is simmered in. Tastier than water! Use low sodium, else your soup will be on the salty side.
GARNISHES
This is a great soup to have fun with toppings! Adds visual and textural interest as well as extra flavour.
Crispy fried shallot pieces – salty and oily, these are sold in jars and packets at large grocery stores these days, but cheaper at Asian stores! Terrific garnish for all things Asian. I use it liberally – it’s a frequent player in my recipes.
Red cayenne pepper – Use the large ones which are not spicy. Small chillies are spicier!
Coriander / cilantro – Lovely fresh herb used frequently in Thai dishes
How to make Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup
Fabulously straight forward, you’ll have this on the table in 20 minutes once you start cooking. Don’t shortcut sautéing the curry paste. This really intensifies and improves the flavour. Essential step for almost every curry – most especially curry paste out of a jar!
Sauté curry paste – Get the onion and garlic started first, then add the curry paste and cook it for a good couple of minutes. This caramelises it and intensifies as well as improves the flavour. Key step when using any curry paste out of a jar!
Coat the pumpkin in the tasty curry paste flavour. Give it a good couple of minutes to toast the pumpkin a bit!
Tip: See video for how I peel and cut butternut (potato peeler for skin!), and see the Pumpkin Soup video for how I cut pumpkin (cut in wedges then cut skin off).
Simmer 8 minutes – Set aside a little coconut milk to use as a drizzle for serving. Then add the rest of the coconut milk, stock and fish sauce into the pot and simmer for just 8 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft. It really does not take long.
Blitz with my favourite appliance (stick blender) until smooth. Ladle into bowls, swirl with reserved coconut milk then finish with as many or as little toppings as you’d like!
Ingredients
-  2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other oil)
-  1 brown onion , diced
-  2 garlic cloves , finely minced
-  3 tbsp Thai red curry paste , Maesri recommended (Note 1)
-  1.8kg/ 3.6 lb pumpkin or butternut squash – peeled, deseeded then chopped into 3cm / 1.2″ chunks (~1.3 kg/2.6 lb) (Note 2)
-  2 1/2 cups vegetable stock , salt reduced (or chicken stock)
-  400ml/ 14 oz (1 can) coconut milk, full fat, best quality (Note 3)
-  1 tbsp fish sauce (sub light or regular soy sauce, Note 4)
GARNISHES (OPTIONAL):
-  Crispy Asian shallots , highly recommended (Note 5)
-  Red cayenne pepper , finely sliced
- Â Fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
- Sauté – Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until soft.
- Add curry paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add pumpkin and stir to coat in the flavours for around 2 minutes.
- Simmer 8 minutes – Set aside 1/4 cup coconut milk for garnish. Add stock, remaining coconut milk and fish sauce. Bring to simmer then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
- Blitz using stick blender until smooth.
- Serve topped with garnishes. Dunk in roti. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
1. Thai Red Curry paste – My position on the best Thai red curry is fairly well documented on this website! Maesri is the best – there is just no question – and it’s the best value ($2.10 for a 115g/4 oz). You’ll need ~1/2 a can.
Find it at Woolies, Harris Farms, Asian stores and online. (Overseas Amazon – US, Canada, UK).
2. Pumpkin – Recipe works as written for both pumpkin and butternut squash. Use one that is around 1.8 kg / 3.6 lb with the skin on and seeds in. After peeling and deseeding it will be around ~1.3 kg/2.6 lb. Watch video for safe, easy cutting technique. 🙂
See separate tutorial for how I cut butternut pumpkin and the Pumpkin Soup recipe for how I cut pumpkin.
3. Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have better flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water. Ayam is my default (89% coconut).
4. Fish sauce will give this soup a more authentic Thai red curry flavour, but soy sauce makes a fine substitute.
5. Crispy fried shallot pieces – salty, oily, terrific garnish for all things Asian. I use it liberally – it’s a frequent player in my recipes. Found in the Asian section of supermarket but cheaper at Asian stores!
6. Roti canai – The flaky flatbread of Indian origin that’s now common across South East Asia. Find it in the freezer section of large supermarkets, cook from frozen on the stove in just a couple of minutes. Cheap, tasty, if you’ve never tried it, it’s a game changer! Excellent for dunking in this soup. 🙂
7. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4 days or freezer for 3 months.
8. Nutrition per serving, excluding toppings.