Vegan Coconut Curry Winter Squash Soup with Thai Spices
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
This vegan coconut curry winter squash soup is richly flavored with alliums, ginger, and Thai chilies, along with Thai curry paste, fresh herbs, and toasted winter squash seeds. It's simple too – it cooks up in one pot and comes together in about 30 minutes!
I found a single Thai Bird's Eye chili lent some heat while still being mild enough that my youngest daughter would eat it. If you like things spicy or are feeding adventurous folks, go with 2 chilies. As always, use gloves when working with spicy chiles.
Recipe Type:
Soup
Cuisine:
Thai
Keyword:
coconut curry winter squash soup
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or a neutral vegetable oil
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2- inch section of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 - 2 Thai Birds Eye chilies or chilies of choice, seeded and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 medium winter squash (such as butternut or kabocha) peeled, seeded (reserve seeds), and cut into a 3/4-inch cube (about 6 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, divided (reserve 1/2 cup for serving)
Toppings
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 4 green onions, minced
- Reserved coconut milk for drizzling
- Reserved winter squash seeds, toasted
- Oil for toasting seeds
- Pinch sea salt
- Thinly sliced chilies, for garnish
- 2 limes, sliced into wedges
Instructions
-
Set a 4-quart Dutch oven or other sturdy soup pot oven medium heat. Add the oil, and then the shallots, ginger, chilies, and sea salt. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Fold in garlic and cook 1 minutes more. Stir in red curry paste, winter squash, and sea salt; cook 3 minutes or until ingredients to start to sizzle. Stir in a cup of broth, scrape up any brown bits, and then add remaining broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook until squash are tender, about 20 minutes.
-
With an immersion blender or countertop blender, blend soup until completely smooth. Turn heat to low – just enough to keep soup warm – and stir in all but 1/2 cup coconut milk. Taste and add sea salt as needed.
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Meanwhile, rinse and pat reserved winter squash seeds dry. Set a small skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and sauté seeds, stirring often, just until they start to pop. Toss with sea salt and set aside to cool.
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To serve, ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with reserved coconut milk, and garnish with cilantro, basil, green onions, toasted squash seeds, and sliced chilies. Finish with a squeeze of lime.