Thai Pumpkin Soup

This Thai Pumpkin Soup gives you a gourmet Thai experience without any of the extra work. It’s creamy, easy to make, and layered with winter squash, warm aromatics, and bold spices and herbs. Quite possibly the most flavorful soup you’ll ever try!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 0

Ingredients
  

Roasted Pumpkin

  • 3 pounds pumpkin or winter squash (we like kabocha squash best)*
  • 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, or neutral-flavored oil of choice
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Soup

  • 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, or neutral-flavored oil of choice
  • 3 large shallots, chopped (or 1 small yellow onion)
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 inch piece ginger, grated or minced (okay to leave peel on)
  • 2 stalks fresh lemongrass** outer papery layers removed, then minced
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground cumin)
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds (or ¾ teaspoon ground coriander)
  • 1 tsp white pepper (or freshly cracked black pepper)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1: 13.5 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp red curry paste
  • 3 cups vegan “chicken” broth (or good-quality vegetable broth)***
  • 12 dried Makrut lime leaves or 6 fresh lime leaves****
  • 1 1/2 tbsp  coconut sugar or organic brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp + 1 teaspoon  Thai soy sauce (or 2 TBSP + 1 tsp regular soy sauce)
  • 1 handful of Thai basil leaves, chopped or torn

Instructions
 

  • Prep the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 400ºF/205ºC. Using a sharp knife, slice the pumpkin or squash in half. If it’s too difficult, microwave the whole thing for 2 minutes to soften. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon or ice cream scoop.
  • 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.
  • 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 the coconut milk to deglaze the pot and pick up the food bits. Once it’s bubbling, add the curry paste. Fry the paste for a few minutes, tossing frequently to prevent sticking or burning. 
    Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and deglaze the pot more as needed. Add the broth, lime leaves, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes. Scoop out the lime leaves but keep them for now.
  • Blend the soup. When the roasted pumpkin is still warm, scoop out the flesh using a large spoon or peel the skin with your hands (it will come off easy). Transfer the flesh to the blender; discard the skin. Add the warm soup and blend until smooth and creamy.
    Blend the soup. When the roasted pumpkin is still warm, scoop out the flesh using a large spoon or peel the skin with your hands (it will come off easy). Transfer the flesh to the blender; discard the skin. Add the warm soup and blend until smooth and creamy.
  • Rest for 15 minutes to meld the flavors. Transfer to bowls and garnish each bowl with a handful of Thai basil leaves and a few spoons of Peanut Chile Crunch, if using.

Notes

For ingredient substitutions, please read the Ingredient Notes section or FAQ section in the blog post. To keep gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce. 
*We love the velvety texture and nutty flavor of kabocha squash here. Butternut squash also works great. A sugar pie pumpkin works, but it had the least flavor and texture in comparison. 
** To prepare lemongrass, first, cut off the tough bottom nub and several inches from the top. Then peel papery outer layers until you have a tender inner core; mince that part. 
*** A “no-chicken” vegan broth added the most flavor, but you can also sub with regular vegetable broth. Our favorite brand of broth with excellent flavor is Imagine Organic. 
**** If using fresh lime leaves, lightly bruise or crush the leaves with your hands to release more aroma. For dried leaves, just gently crumple them. 
 
Cold weather calls for the best comfort food, like warm soups and spicy curries, and this Thai Pumpkin Soup features everything you love about cozy comfort food in one bowl!
Bursting with proper Thai flavors, this gourmet pumpkin soup is surprisingly easy. It’s made with roasted winter squash, a bundle of aromatics, spices, and coconut milk. Blend them all together and you have a rich and indulgent soup with gourmet Thai flavor.
The best part is it only gets better with time. Let the soup chill in the fridge overnight, then dig into the best leftovers you’ll ever have the next day.
If you love Thai food and soup season, this recipe is a match made in heaven.

Recipe by Rainbow Plant Life

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