Thai Pumpkin Soup
User Reviews
5
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Description
This Thai Pumpkin Soup centers on oven-roasted pumpkin seasoned with salt, white pepper, and cinnamon, which softens the flesh and intensifies its natural sweetness. The roasted pumpkin is then blended with a spices mixture including cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon, along with sautéed shallots, garlic, ginger, minced lemongrass, and red curry paste. The soup base incorporates coconut milk and vegan chicken or vegetable broth, creating a velvety texture with a mild curry flavor layered beneath fresh herbal notes.
The aromatic makrut lime leaves and chopped Thai basil enrich the flavor profile, contributing citrusy and herbal undertones that brighten the earthy pumpkin and spices. The method involves roasting and careful spice preparation that adds texture and depth. The soup is ideally served warm, often accompanied by crusty toasted bread, and can be complemented with optional toppings like peanut chili crunch for extra texture and heat.
The recipe suggests ingredient substitutions such as tamari for soy sauce to maintain gluten-free status and offers preparation tips for lemongrass and lime leaves that help maximize freshness in the final dish. This soup is well-suited as a comforting appetizer or light main served during cooler weather or when looking for an exotic vegetable-based dish with moderate spice and creaminess.
Ingredients
Roasted Pumpkin
- 3 pound pumpkin we like kabocha squash best, or winter squash, 1.3 kg
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Soup
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground cumin)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground coriander)
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or freshly cracked black pepper)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric ground
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice
- 3 shallots chopped (or 1 small yellow onion, large
- 6 garlic chopped, cloves
- 2 inch ginger grated or minced (okay to leave peel on, piece
- 2 talks lemongrass outer papery layers removed, then minced, fresh
- 1 .5-ounce (400 mL) coconut milk can, full-fat
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 3 cups vegan chicken broth or good-quality vegetable broth, 720 mL
- 12 makrut lime leaves or 6 fresh lime leaves, dried
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut sugar more as needed, or organic brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Thai soy sauce or 2 TBSP + 1 tsp regular soy sauce, 1 teaspoon
- 1 Thai basil chopped or torn, handful of leaves
For serving
- bread toasted, crusty
- peanut chile crunch (optional, see next recipe card)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF/205ºC. Using a sharp knife, slice the pumpkin in half. If too hard, microwave the whole squash for 2 minutes to soften. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon.
- Roast the pumpkin. Mix together the ½ tbsp of the oil, salt, white pepper, and cinnamon in a small bowl until it’s almost like a paste. Use a pastry brush or your hands to brush inside the cavities of the pumpkin/squash only, but not on the top outer rims. For the top outer rims, just brush lightly with oil (no spices, or they will burn).Place the pumpkin halves, flesh side down, on a rimmed sheet pan. Prick the skin with a knife to allow venting. Roast until the pumpkin is very soft, about 40 to 45 minutes.
While the pumpkin roasts, prep and make everything else in the next 3 steps.
- Crush the spices. Using an electric spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind up the cumin and coriander seeds but don’t fully grind, leaving a little texture. Stir in the white pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric for your spice blend. If you don’t have either, crush them using the back of a heavy mug or a cast iron skillet, or add them to a ziploc and roll back and forth with a rolling pin or smash with a mallet.
- Make the soup. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with the 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil. Once hot, add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass with a pinch of salt, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until shallots and garlic just start to get some color. If it starts to stick, add a splash of water to scrape up the food bits. Add the spice mix and stir almost constantly for 30 seconds.
- Add a few tablespoons of coconut milk to deglaze and pick up food bits. Once bubbling, add the curry paste. Fry for a few minutes, tossing frequently to prevent sticking. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, broth, lime leaves, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Scoop out the lime leaves but keep them for now.
- Blend the soup. While pumpkin is still warm, scoop out the flesh using a large spoon or peel the skin with your hands. Transfer the flesh to the blender; discard the skin. Add the warm soup and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the soup. If you want a stronger flavor from the lime leaves, add some to the soup and blend again (you need a fairly powerful blender). Note: if your blender container is smaller than 64 ounces, blend in two batches.
- Rest for 15 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste, adding more soy sauce or sugar as desired. Garnish each bowl with a handful of Thai basil and a spoon of Peanut Chile Crunch, if using. When reheating, thin as needed with broth or water, as it thickens.
Notes
- Substitute tamari for soy sauce to keep the recipe gluten-free.
- Kabocha squash provides the best flavor and texture; butternut and sugar pie pumpkins work but are less flavorful.
- Prepare lemongrass by removing tough outer layers, smashing, and mincing the tender core to release flavor.
- Lightly crush fresh lime leaves with your hands or gently crumble dried ones to maximize aroma.
- Store-bought broth brands like Imagine Organic maintain good quality for flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4(makes 7 to 8 cups)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 399 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 399kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 48g | 16% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 20g | 100% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.5g | 3% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 1388mg | 58% |
| Potassium | 1504mg | 32% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 6221IU | 124% |
| Vitamin C | 46mg | 51% |
| Calcium | 145mg | 15% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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