This post may contain affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.
The exotic flavors of Thai cuisine inspired this Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup. It’s a creamy, spicy, super flavorful soup that’s sure to become a fall favorite among pumpkin lovers!
The weather has been such a tease lately. I’ve been waiting for summer to end since it basically began this year (the older I get, the more I can’t stand the heat and humidity). Unfortunately, September has been a tricky little month here in Jersey. Just when you think summer’s over and it’s time to pull out our sweaters and boots, we get hit with warm, summer-like temps again. Now that it’s October, maybe we can finally start to cool off for good!
Still, those September fall teasers whisked me back into some of my cool weather routines – a cup of tea at night, a hoodie in the morning, and craving the return of soup season. Sitting down to a bowl of soup is probably one of my favorite things about fall and winter. Soup is comforting, warm, and a great way to play around with different flavors.
Since it’s also pumpkin season again, I decided to make a soup recipe that’s been on my list to make for quite some time – Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup. I love Thai food! It’s full of so many different sweet and spicy flavors. So I inspiration from took those flavors and incorporated them into a creamy pumpkin soup that’s perfect for this time of year.
Most Thai pumpkin soup recipes I’ve seen have red curry paste in them. I am not a big fan of curry, so I left it out. Instead, I added some red chili peppers instead and it was the perfect substitution! Not too spicy, but it packs enough flavor to balance out the sweetness of the coconut milk.
Instead of pouring the soup into a blender, I let it cool slightly. Then, I used my hand blender to blend it up right in my Dutch oven for easy clean up!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. ginger, grated
- 2 tsp. red chili paste
- 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 stalk lemongrass, torn into pieces
- 15 oz. can pure pumpkin puree
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 small lime, juiced
- 13.66 oz. can lite coconut milk (leave a little aside to garnish)
- Garnish: fresh cilantro, sliced chili pepper, pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven, or large pot.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pot. Cook until the onion has softened.
- Then, add in the ginger and red chili paste, cooking for about a minute.
- Add the cilantro and lemongrass. Then, stir in the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, and lime juice.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then lower it to a simmer, letting it cook for 30 minutes.
- Allow the soup to cool down a bit, then use a hand blender to blend the soup.
- Once the soup is blended, stir in the coconut milk and allow the soup to simmer again for about 15 more minutes.
- Spoon soup into bowls. Drizzle coconut milk over the soup. Then, top with fresh cilantro, sliced chili pepper, and pumpkin seeds.
Recipe notes:
- Not a fan of spice? Cut the chili paste down to 1 tsp. or omit it completely. This soup packs enough flavor that you’ll still find it to be ridiculously delicious!
- If you want to make this soup ahead of time and freeze it, don’t add the coconut milk to the recipe. Stir it in when you reheat the soup.
- Think cilantro tastes like soap? Try using Thai basil instead. These small basil leaves add a really nice flavor to dishes.
- Want to skip the canned pumpkin and make your own pumpkin puree? Learn how to roast a pumpkin for homemade puree here!
This soup recipe made four generous bowls of soup, which my sister and I devoured ourselves over lunch. IT’S THAT GOOD! Next time I make this – because I’ll probably be making this a lot – I’m definitely doubling the recipe!
Did you make this recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!
PIN FOR LATER
