Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Where comfort meets fire, and tradition takes a detour.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is silky, spicy, and a little unexpected. Butternut squash and coconut milk form a familiar base, but Thai red curry paste brings the heat and depth. The final flourish? A tadka—an Indian-style tempering of spices—poured over the top, adding an earthy, aromatic edge. It’s a dish that bridges kitchens and continents.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
  •  1 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled an cut into small chunks
  •  1 teaspoon fish sauce or 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon tamari sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  •  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Cilantro for garnish



For The Tempering
 
2 cloves garlic
2 whole chili pepper
2 tablespoon vegetable oil


How The Alchemy Happens

To a heavy soup pan or Dutch oven add the olive oil and butter over medium heat. 

Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger, stir and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the red curry paste, coconut milk, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. 

Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the squash is tender. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and tamari sauce.  

Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth or add the soup to a blender and blend in batches.

Taste for seasoning and add if needed. Add sesame oil. Stir.


For The Tempering.

Add vegetable oil to a small saucepan. Heat, add garlic, cook for a couple of minutes, taking care not to burn it, add pepper and cook for a minute longer. 

Top the soup with your tempered mixture.

Be careful of the splatter.


Garnish with cilantro. Serve.

🔙 Back to the Kitchen

Sometimes the best flavor comes from crossing borders you weren’t supposed to.