Thai Pumpkin soup with red curry

Are you ready to take your pumpkin soup to the next level? Look no further! This Asian-flavored Thai pumpkin soup with red curry is incredibly smooth and creamy. It’s not only simple to prepare, but also impressively delicious. This soup is the ultimate comfort food, particularly in cold weather!

Thai Pumpkin soup with red curry

A classic autumn dish, pumpkin soup can be found all around the world. Nearly every cuisine has its own variation. And this is for a good reason. Like all traditional food, pumpkin soup embodies not just flavors but also cultural histories.

Its velvety texture and warm spices capture the essence of fall, making it a comforting choice during chilly evenings. Whether it’s the Thai-inspired coconut and pumpkin soup, the creamy and spiced version from India, or the hearty pumpkin and bacon soup from America, each recipe tells a unique story.

Ingredients for Thai pumpkin soup with red curry

This soup is full of Thai flavors vitamins and minerals. All the ingredients can be easily found in your grocery store.

• Pumpkin. Any pumpkin will work in this recipe, however, I found that you will get the best result with butternut squash or butternut pumpkin, as we call it in Australia. While fresh pumpkin is the best option, you can use canned pumpkin too. See note in the recipe card.
• Thai red curry paste. To make a delicious Thai pumpkin soup recipe, it’s important to use high-quality curry paste that is free of artificial additives, preservatives, colors, or flavors. Although red curry paste can be expensive, it’s worth the investment as it can be stored in the refrigerator for several months and used whenever needed.
• Coconut milk. Use coconut milk, not coconut cream. Choose the best quality you can find. Coconut milk adds a lot of flavours and makes the soup so really creamy.
• Chicken stock or chicken broth. Homemade options are the best. If choosing a store-bought variety, be careful when adding salt to the soup, it could be already quite salty.
• Extra virgin olive oil. We will only need one tablespoon to fry the red curry paste.
• Fresh red chilli and fresh cilantro leaves (fresh coriander leaves) to garnish and serve.

How to make Thai pumpkin soup with red curry paste

Ready for the pumpkin soup makeover? Here is how is done:

1. Begin by washing, peeling, and cutting the pumpkin into pieces. Keep in mind that smaller pieces will cook faster. If you are not sure how to peel and cut a pumpkin, check out the video below for a step-by-step tutorial.

2. Heat some olive oil in a large pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat.

3. Add the red curry paste and fry until it is fragrant.

4. Next, add the pumpkin to the pan and stir for a minute or two until each piece is thoroughly coated in the red curry paste.

5. Time to add some stock! Be careful not to add too much or too little. You’ll want just enough stock to cover the pumpkin. Adding too much will result in a watery soup, and too little will result in pumpkin puree.

6. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then quickly reduce the heat to low.

7. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes over low heat, until the pumpkin is very soft.

8. Use a food processor or hand blender to puree the soup until it is creamy and smooth

9. After adding the coconut milk, stir to blend and let it come to a simmer. Your homemade pumpkin soup is now ready to be served!

Serve the spicy pumpkin soup with some fresh chilies, fresh cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice.

Items you might find helpful

• Immersion blender
• Dutch oven
• Food processor

What to serve with Thai pumpkin soup

Thai pumpkin soup can be served as a comforting first course at a dinner party or as the main dish for a family dinner. Here are a couple of ideas you migth want to try

• Serve as a starter: Ladle the soup into a bowl and add a dollop of coconut cream, a few chopped cilantro leaves, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and some lime wedges. Serve hot.
• As a family dinner: Serve the pumpkin soup with a side of steamed basmati rice or crusty bread to make it a great weeknight meal.
• Make it party food: Serve the soup in shot glasses, garnished with a cilantro leaf and a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds. Your guests will love this unique and delicious twist on traditional pumpkin soup.
• Add some protein: And finally, why not add some delicious garlic lemon chicken to this soup to make it a complete meal?

How to store it

This scrumptious pumpkin soup can be made ahead of time and stored for later use. Once the soup has cooled down to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

If you made a double batch and want to store it for longer, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. To do so, transfer the cooled soup to a freezer-safe container, leaving enough space for the soup to expand as it freezes. Defrost it naturally in the fridge overnight.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup in a saucepan on the stove until it starts to simmer. Alternatively, you can microwave it if preferred. Stir the soup occasionally to ensure even heating.

Diet variations:

Red curry pumpkin soup can be modified to fit a variety of dietary restrictions or preferences.

Vegan pumpkin soup: To make the soup vegetarian or vegan, simply use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Gluten-free: Red curry pumpkin soup is naturally gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free red curry paste.

Dairy-free: This creamy soup is dairy-free as it uses coconut milk instead of cream or milk.

Keto: To make the soup keto-friendly, you can use coconut cream instead of milk, bone broth instead of chicken stock, and add more healthy fats like coconut oil or MCT oil to increase the fat content.

With these dietary variations, you can enjoy a delicious and nourishing bowl of red curry pumpkin soup that fits your dietary needs and preferences.

Tips and tricks

If you would like to use pumpkin purée to cook the soup, you will need approximately 900g of it. Simply replace the fresh pumpkin with the puree. Keep in mind that the taste may be slightly different from using fresh pumpkin, but the soup will still be delicious.

When frying the red curry paste, be cautious not to overheat the oil. If the oil gets too hot, the paste may start to splatter and can potentially cause burns.

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