Thai Pumpkin Soup

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400ºF/205ºC. Using a sharp knife, slice the pumpkin in half. If too hard, microwave the whole squash for 2 minutes to soften. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon.

Step 2

Roast the pumpkin. Mix together the ½ tbsp of the oil, salt, white pepper, and cinnamon in a small bowl until it’s almost like a paste. Use a pastry brush or your hands to brush inside the cavities of the pumpkin/squash only, but not on the top outer rims. For the top outer rims, just brush lightly with oil (no spices, or they will burn).Place the pumpkin halves, flesh side down, on a rimmed sheet pan. Prick the skin with a knife to allow venting. Roast until the pumpkin is very soft, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Step 3

Crush the spices. Using an electric spice grinder or mortar and pestle, grind up the cumin and coriander seeds but don’t fully grind, leaving a little texture. Stir in the white pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric for your spice blend. If you don’t have either, crush them using the back of a heavy mug or a cast iron skillet, or add them to a ziploc and roll back and forth with a rolling pin or smash with a mallet.

Step 4

Make the soup. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with the 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil. Once hot, add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass with a pinch of salt, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until shallots and garlic just start to get some color. If it starts to stick, add a splash of water to scrape up the food bits. Add the spice mix and stir almost constantly for 30 seconds.

Step 5

Add a few tablespoons of coconut milk to deglaze and pick up food bits. Once bubbling, add the curry paste. Fry for a few minutes, tossing frequently to prevent sticking. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, broth, lime leaves, sugar, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Scoop out the lime leaves but keep them for now.

Step 6

Blend the soup. While pumpkin is still warm, scoop out the flesh using a large spoon or peel the skin with your hands. Transfer the flesh to the blender; discard the skin. Add the warm soup and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the soup. If you want a stronger flavor from the lime leaves, add some to the soup and blend again (you need a fairly powerful blender). Note: if your blender container is smaller than 64 ounces, blend in two batches.

Step 7

Rest for 15 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste, adding more soy sauce or sugar as desired. Garnish each bowl with a handful of Thai basil and a spoon of Peanut Chile Crunch, if using. When reheating, thin as needed with broth or water, as it thickens.