So it’s officially Fall now and that means squash soup season and this Thai version is beautifully creamy and super flavourful. I brought this to work for lunch and the steamy aroma of lemongrass, lime, and shallots wafted around my cubicle and down the hall. I was mid-slurp when I looked up and found five colleagues hovering around my desk demanding asking what was I eating that smelled so good. When I told them it was a Thai squash and coconut milk soup, they insisted I share the recipe asap. So here you go friends – get your squash soup on.
So I won’t lie – you’ll definitely probably need to go to your local Asian grocery store to grab the ingredients for this recipe. That is unless your normal grocery store carries kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai basil, and fish sauce on the regular. The good news is, you’ll probably end up with more lemongrass and lime leaves than needed for this recipe, and you can freeze them for future use. Also, fish sauce lasts for like ever in the fridge so you’re good there. This makes it easy to whip up this soup since you’ll basically be stocked up and ready to go.
This recipe makes enough for about four servings. I recommend doubling the recipe and freezing some so you can just reheat this gorgeous soup on those cold dark days yet to come. The bright sunny colour and bold flavours will bring your taste buds comfort and warm your belly. You can pump up the spice too by adding those Thai red chiles to garnish – just remember the seeds in those little suckers can be CRAZY hot and melt your tongue/face-off. If you’re into that thing, then definitely have at it. (Seriously, these ones here were like eating fire/burning coals/the devil himself). The chiles in the soup are de-seeded and add a touch of heat without being too spicy at all. To make a more kid-friendly version, just omit chiles all together.
Thai Squash and Coconut Milk Soup
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- Blender or immersion blender
- Food Processor
INGREDIENTS
- 4 shallots (quartered)
- 2 red or green Thai chiles (or serrano chiles, or jalapeño peppers, seeds removed)
- 1 lemongrass stalk (center white part only, smashed and roughly chopped)
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken stock or water
- 6 kaffir lime leaves (stems removed)
- 4 cups peeled squash (either acorn or butternut, chopped into 2 cm cubes)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Garnish:
- Thai basil leaves, chopped cilantro, fresh limes, green onions, and/or chopped Thai chiles
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a blender or food processor, combine the shallots, chiles, lemongrass and 1/4 cup water and pulse until a paste forms.
- Open the can of coconut milk without shaking it. Heat a large pot on medium heat and add the spice paste and thick creamy part of the coconut milk to the pot. Stir together and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The paste will get quite fragrant and bubbly.
- Add the remaining coconut milk, stock, lime leaves and squash and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
- Remove the lime leaves and discard. Either blend the soup in a blender in batches or use immersion blender to blend until the soup is nice and creamy. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar and serve with garnishes.
A beautiful soup AND oh so delicious!
Thank you! So glad you liked it 🙂