Thai Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Servings: 6
Calories: 310kcal
Roasted butternut squash blended with red curry paste, coconut milk, lemongrass, and galangal, finished with lime.
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Equipment
- Wide heavy-bottomed pot
- Blender An immersion blender works but will not get it as smooth.
Ingredients
For the squash:
- 1 medium butternut squash about 3 lbs, halved and seeded
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil such as vegetable or canola
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or neutral oil
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 3 medium shallots sliced
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh galangal sliced into coins
- 1 13.5-oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth low-sodium preferred
- 2 stalks lemongrass bruised and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 4 makrut lime leaves fresh or frozen
- 1½ tablespoons tao jiao fermented soybean paste
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
For serving:
- ½ cup Thai basil leaves
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- coconut milk for swirling
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Rub the cut sides of the squash with the neutral oil and salt, place cut side down on a lined sheet pan, and roast 45 minutes, until a knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance.
- Cool the squash until you can handle it, then scoop the flesh away from the skin. There is no need to peel it.
- Heat the coconut oil in a wide heavy pot over medium. Add the curry paste and fry 3 to 4 minutes, pressing it against the pan, until the oil runs red and the paste smells cooked rather than sharp.
- Add the shallots, garlic and galangal and fry 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Pour in the coconut milk and broth, add the lemongrass and makrut lime leaves, and simmer 10 minutes to infuse.
- Fish out and discard the lemongrass, lime leaves and galangal coins.
- Add the roasted squash and blend until smooth, working in batches with the blender lid vented and a towel over the top. Never fill past the maximum line.
- Return the soup to the pot and stir in the tao jiao and palm sugar. Taste and add salt.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Serve topped with Thai basil, scallions and a swirl of coconut milk.
Notes
- Curry paste heat varies widely by brand. Thai Kitchen at 3 tablespoons is mild enough for kids; start at 2 tablespoons with Mae Ploy. Check the curry paste label for shrimp paste, since most commercial brands contain it.
- Salt amounts are for Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Use about half as much Morton.
- Add the lime off the heat. Sustained heat turns it bitter and flat.
- Use fresh or frozen makrut lime leaves. Dried ones contribute almost nothing here.
- Swap kabocha for the butternut for a fuller, drier soup. It is the squash Thai cooks actually use.
- For a deeper version, skip the oil and crack the coconut cream instead. Spoon the thick cream off the top of an unshaken can, simmer it 5 to 8 minutes until clear oil pools and the cream turns grainy, then fry the paste in that. Use a brand without gums or emulsifiers, such as Aroy-D or Chaokoh, since stabilized brands will not split.
- Store leftovers airtight in the fridge up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
- Reheat gently over low heat, stirring, to keep the coconut milk from separating.
Nutrition
Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 818mg | Potassium: 693mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 14804IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 4mg
