🥘 Ingredients
- pumpkin or winter squash 3 lb
- coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil ½ tbsp
- kosher salt ½ tsp
- white pepper ½ tsp
- ground cinnamon ¼ tsp
- cumin seeds or ground cumin ¾ tsp
- coriander seeds or ground coriander ¾ tsp
- white pepper or freshly cracked black pepper ½ tsp
- ground cinnamon ¼ tsp
- ground turmeric ¼ tsp
- coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil 1 ½ tbsp
- large shallots or small yellow onion 1
- garlic cloves 6
- fresh ginger 2 inch
- fresh lemongrass 2
- full-fat coconut milk 1
- red curry paste 2 tbsp
- vegan “chicken broth” or good-quality vegetable broth 3 cup
- fresh lime leaves or dried Makrut lime leaves 12
- coconut sugar or organic brown sugar 1 ½ tbsp
- Thai light soy sauce or regular soy sauce or tamari 7 tsp
- Thai basil leaves 1 handful
- salted peanuts ½ cup
- coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil 1 tbsp
- Fresno chile peppers 1-2
- A
- Freshly
- Kosher
- For serving: Crusty bread
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To prepare lemongrass: cut off the tough bottom nub and the tough top green stalks. Peel the papery outer layers until you reach the tender, flexile inner white core. Smash down on it with a rolling pin or mallet, then mince. If you want to use the same brand of red curry paste (Maesri) but yield a less spicy soup, lower the amount of curry paste to 1-1 1/2 tbsp. If using a more standard curry paste, 2 tbsp will yield a soup with moderate heat. For fresh lime leaves, lightly crush them with your hands to release aroma. For dried leaves, gently crumple them. For a non-spicy option to the Peanut Chile Crunch, garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds and/or fresh lime leaves, very finely slivered. Storage: Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. It freezes well for about 3 months. I like to freeze the soup in single-serve Souper Cubes so they defrost in a breeze. When reheating, thin as needed with broth or water, as it thickens. Nutrition boost: For a protein boost, make the tempeh crumbles from this recipe, or the crispy lentils from this recipe.
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1For the roasted pumpkin: pumpkin or winter squash , coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil , kosher salt , white pepper , ground cinnamon . For the soup: cumin seeds or ground cumin , coriander seeds or ground coriander , white pepper or freshly cracked black pepper , ground cinnamon , ground turmeric , coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil , large shallots or small yellow onion , garlic cloves , fresh ginger , fresh lemongrass , full-fat coconut milk , red curry paste , vegan “chicken broth” or good-quality vegetable broth , fresh lime leaves or dried Makrut lime leaves , coconut sugar or organic brown sugar , Thai light soy sauce or regular soy sauce or tamari , Thai basil leaves . For the peanut chile crunch (optional, see note 4): salted peanuts , coconut oil or neutral-flavored oil , Fresno chile peppers , A few dashes of soy sauce or tamari, Freshly cracked black pepper, Kosher salt, For serving: Crusty bread .
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2Preheat the oven to 400ºF / 205ºC. Using a sharp knife, slice the pumpkin in half. If too hard, microwave the whole squash for 2 minutes to soften. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon.
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3Roast the pumpkin. Mix together 1/2 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.
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4Crush 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.
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5Make the soup. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil. Once hot, add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass with a pinch of salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes , or until the 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.
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6Add a few tablespoons of coconut milk to deglaze and pick up food bits. Once bubbling, add the curry paste. Fry for a few minutes, tossing frequently to prevent sticking. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, broth, lime leaves, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes . Scoop out the lime leaves but keep them for now.
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7While the soup simmers, make the Peanut Chile Crunch. Optional: If your peanuts are roasted, you can skip this step, but it does deepen their flavor. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the peanuts and toast until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside for now. To the same pan, add the oil. Once hot, add the chile peppers. Cook for 60-90 seconds , then transfer to a bowl to stop cooking. Use a knife to finely chop the peanuts. Add the peanuts to the chile peppers and toss to combine. Add a few dashes of soy sauce, a few cracks of black pepper, and toss again. Season to taste with salt as needed.
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8Blend the soup. While pumpkin is still warm, scoop out the flesh using a large spoon or peel the skin with your hands. Transfer the flesh to the blender; discard the skin. Add the warm soup and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the soup. If you want a stronger flavor from the lime leaves, add some to the soup and blend again (you need a fairly powerful blender). NOTE: If your blender container is smaller than 64 ounces (2L), blend in batches.
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9Rest for 15 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste, adding more soy sauce or sugar as desired. Garnish each bowl with a handful of Thai basil and a spoon of Peanut Chile Crunch, if using.