Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup

The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 2 to 3 servings

In Thailand, pumpkin and coconut milk are commonly paired up to make a variety of both savory and sweet entrées. In this recipe, the two come together beautifully in a lightly-curried soup that tastes as delicious as those you may have tried at your favorite Thai restaurant. A variety of protein sources can be used with this soup, including tofu, deep-fried tofu, shrimp, or chickpeas. It makes a perfect meal on a chilly night but is also wonderful to serve as an appetizer for a dinner party.

Try not to be intimidated by the ingredient list. There are good substitutions for a number of the specialty ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chicken stock

  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemongrass, minced

  • 3 leaves makrut lime, left whole

  • 1 shallot, minced

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 thumb-size piece galangal, grated or sliced thinly into matchsticks

  • 1 fresh red chile pepper, sliced

  • 3 cups pumpkin, peeled, cut into bite-size chunks

  • 2 cups yam, peeled, cut into chunks

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce, to taste

  • 1 teaspoon shrimp paste

  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar, packed

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 1/3 to 1/2 (13.5-ounce) can thick coconut milk

  • 1 to 2 cups cubed tofu

  • 1 large handful baby spinach

  • Sprig fresh basil, for garnish

  • Sprig fresh cilantro, for garnish

  • Cooked rice, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. In a large pot over high heat, add the chicken stock.

    pot with chicken stock

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. Add the lemongrass (plus leftover stalk if using fresh lemongrass), the makrut lime leaves, shallot, garlic, galangal, and chile pepper. Bring to a boil.

    Add the lemongrass, the makrut lime leaves, shallot, garlic, galangal, and chile pepper to the stock in the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. Add the pumpkin and yam. Reduce heat slightly and gently boil for 6 to 7 minutes.

    Add the pumpkin and yam to the soup in the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. While the soup is cooking, add the spices and flavorings, stirring with each addition: turmeric, ground coriander and cumin, fish sauce, shrimp paste, brown sugar, and lime juice.

    add turmeric, ground coriander and cumin, fish sauce, shrimp paste, brown sugar, and lime juice to the soup in the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  6. When the pumpkin and yam are soft enough to eat, reduce the heat to low. Stir in the coconut milk; start with 1/3 can and increase to 1/2 can, depending on how creamy you want the soup. Stir well, taste-test, and adjust the salt and spice to your preference.

    add coconut milk to the soup

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  7. Just before serving, add the soft tofu and spinach and gently stir it into the soup (the spinach will wilt instantly).

    add spinach to the soup in the pot

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  8. Portion out into bowls and top with fresh basil and cilantro. This soup is usually served with rice on the side, but it could also be served with noodles. Serve and enjoy!

    Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tips

  • For a more gourmet-style soup put the finished soup in blender and blitz before serving. This makes for a creamy-wonderful soup. 
  • Don't be tempted to omit the fish sauce and shrimp paste—they may have a pungent aroma but they make for wonderfully-flavored soup!

Recipe Variations

  • No fresh lemongrass? Prepared lemongrass can also be found bottled or frozen and you can use the same amount.
  • In place of the makrut lime leaves, add 1 teaspoon lime zest.
  • Use 1/4 cup minced purple onion if you don't have a shallot.
  • Ginger is an excellent substitute for galangal and is rather easy to find in the average grocery store.
  • Instead of red chile pepper, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed chile pepper or 1 to 2 teaspoons chili sauce.
  • Squash can be used in place of pumpkin and sweet potato is a good substitute for the yam.
  • If you don't have shrimp paste, add an extra tablespoon of fish sauce.
  • Replace the tofu with chickpeas or cooked shrimp.

How to Adjust the Soup's Flavor

When taste-testing the soup, you can use certain ingredients to adjust the flavor to your liking:

  • Add more fish sauce if it's not salty or flavorful enough (this will depend on the saltiness of your stock).
  • Add more lime juice if it's too salty or sweet.
  • Add a little more brown sugar if it's too sour.
  • Add a bit more chile pepper to make it spicier.
  • Add coconut milk if it's too spicy.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
750 Calories
30g Fat
90g Carbs
41g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 750
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 38%
Saturated Fat 16g 79%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 2391mg 104%
Total Carbohydrate 90g 33%
Dietary Fiber 12g 45%
Total Sugars 20g
Protein 41g
Vitamin C 85mg 424%
Calcium 711mg 55%
Iron 14mg 80%
Potassium 3004mg 64%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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