Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Last Updated on April 3, 2024

Today I’m treating myself to a Thai butternut squash soup. So much of my cooking is inspired by my travels. You may well have noticed this! Trying the food of different countries is my favourite thing about travelling and in our current travel-less world I’ve found myself experimenting much more with mixing flavours in my kitchen.

One of my favourite countries to visit is Thailand. I love it so much I’ve been there 10 times! That’s another thing I’ve been doing – looking back on travels. And planning new ones (in my head of course). No surprise that Thailand is high on my list. There’s such a great range of Thai ingredients to cook with. And they are all so easily available even in supermarkets these days.

Another part of my cooking plan for 2021 is to eat less meat (I am something of a self-confessed carnivore), so I have been getting adventurous with more vegetarian dishes. Luckily I also love vegetables and there are so many different ways to cook with them. Like making a good homemade soup. Which is where today’s inspiration comes from for my delicious Thai Butternut Squash Soup Recipe.

Most of the flavour comes from the spicy red curry paste that I bought today ready made in the supermarket to save time and cut back on ingredients. Its basically a mix of chilli, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, lime juice and ground cumin and coriander. If you do make it yourself (which I do fairly often) you can balance the flavours to suit your taste perfectly but it does take time. I like the Blue Dragon Red Curry Paste which you can even get in a small container which is perfect for two portions of soup or curry. This makes the dish so quick to make.

The squeeze of lime juice at the end is a crucial part of the process to add a zingy taste that cuts through the richness of the coconut milk. And the peanuts add a different texture with their crunch.

Start by adding the sunflower oil to a medium-hot pan. Add the onion and fry for about 5 mins until softened. Next add the ginger and red curry paste and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring throughout.

Add the chopped butternut squash and stir through.

Add the chicken stock, coconut milk and fish sauce to the mix. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Simmer on low for about 20 mins or until the butternut is softened.

When the butternut is softened, remove the pan from the heat. Blend with a handblender until smooth.

Serve topped with chopped peanuts and fresh coriander leaves.

Why not try my delicious hake recipe inspired by the flavours of Spain? You will find it here.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

A tasty butternut soup with flavours of red Thai curry paste and coconut

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: butternut squash, chicken soup, coconut milk, Thai

Servings: 2

Calories: 149kcal

Author: Sandy Cadiz-Smith

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 tsps ginger fresh, peeled and chopped into matchsticks
• 3 tsps red curry paste
• 1 whole butternut peeled, deseeded and chopped
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 1 400ml can coconut milk
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsps peanuts dry roasted and chopped
• 2 tbsps coriander leaves chopped
• 1 lime quartered

Instructions

• Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sunflower oil and the onion. Stir and fry for about 5 mins until the onion is softened but not browned. Add the ginger and curry paste, and fry for 2 mins, stirring. Then add the butternut squash and stir through.
• Add the chicken stock, coconut milk and fish sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer on low for 20 mins. Or until the butternut is softened.
• Use a handblender to puree the butternut until you have a thick creamy soup.
• Serve topped with the peanuts and fresh coriander leaves with lime wedges on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg

I’ve used chicken stock in this recipe, but if you want to make a vegetarian version just substitute the chicken stock for homemade vegetable stock or a good quality bouillon.