Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin was on special at my neighborhood Migros, so pumpkin soup was on the menu this week. I love soup and pumpkin soup may just be my favorite. I have tried several recipes and variations over the years, and the ones I go back to all have a kick. The light sweetness of pumpkin balances well with the spiciness of curry or cayenne. My husband was working on taxes this week, so to show my support I let him choose the soup: Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup. This is my westernized and simplified version of a recipe from Judy Bastyra’s Thai: the essence of Asian cooking. Now, I share my recipe with you!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion (2 Swiss-sized onions), diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 lemongrass stalk, chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried lemongrass)

2 fresh red chiles, diced (or 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes)

600ml/1 pint/2 ½ cups vegetable broth

1/3 large pumpkin, cubed

400ml/14 ounces coconut milk

2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce

2 tsp raw sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional: ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Peel and dice vegetables.

2. Sautee onion in oil over medium heat for three minutes. Add garlic, lemongrass and chiles; sautee additional minute or until fragrant, without burning.

3. Add vegetable broth and pumpkin. Bring to a boil, then lightly simmer for ten minutes until pumpkin is tender.

4. Mash pumpkin to desired consistency with potato masher. (Alternatively, one can use a blender to completely cream the soup.)

5. Add coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through until almost at a simmer—about five minutes.

6. Serve in bowls and garnish with chiles, lime or basil leaves, or lemongrass.