Silky Coconut Pumpkin Soup
maxine February 19th, 2008
I made this for a birthday dinner, and I have to say it was darn good. This recipe is versatile and the flavors blend together quite well. Use a little less fish sauce if you’re timid about it, but do not omit. Substitute butternut squash if that’s more readily available (I usually do). You can also add lemongrass with the broth for yet another layer of flavor.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
3 to 4 shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (optional)
1 1/2 pounds pumpkin (untrimmed), or 1 1/4 pounds peeled pumpkin
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups canned or fresh coconut milk
2 cups mild pork or chicken broth
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce, or to taste
Generous grindings of black pepper
1/4 cup minced scallion greens (optional)
Preparation
Peel the pumpkin or squash and clean off any seeds. Cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. You should have 4 1/2 to 5 cups cubed pumpkin.
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat and saute shallots and pumpkin until the pumpkin is almost tender.
Add the coconut milk, broth, and cilantro leaves and bring to a boil. Add the salt and simmer over medium heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fish sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. For an authentic Thai version, this soup is ready to serve (chunks and all). Otherwise, you can puree the whole thing like I prefer to do. Use an immersion/stick blender or a regular blender to blend soup until smooth. Taste for salt and add a little more fish sauce if you wish. (The soup can be served immediately, but has even more flavor if left to stand for up to an hour. Reheat just before serving.)
Serve from a large soup bowl or in individual bowls. Grind black pepper over generously, and, if you wish, garnish with a sprinkling of minced scallion greens. Leftovers freeze very well.
recipe adapted from epicurious.com