Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
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This Thai-style butternut squash soup is soothing and flavorful, and the heat from the curry and Sriracha will warm you right up.
This Thai-style butternut squash soup, flavored with red curry paste and coconut milk, is as soothing as it is flavorful. The ginger and spices add just the right amount of heat to warm you up, while the toppings—Sriracha, peanuts, scallions, and cilantro—bring vibrant flavor, texture, and a pop of color. For me, this soup is hearty enough to enjoy as a main course, but if you’ve got heartier appetites at the table, a scoop of jasmine rice makes a perfect addition to bulk it up.
Table of Contents
“This might be my new favorite Once Upon a Chef recipe! Easy and delicious…a winning combination!”
What You’ll Need To Make Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegetable Oil: Helps sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger, forming a flavorful base for the soup.
- Onions And Garlic: Provide a savory depth that balances the sweetness of the squash and carrots.
- Fresh Ginger: Adds a warm, slightly spicy note that complements the curry flavor.
- Butternut Squash And Carrots: Create the creamy, slightly sweet body of the soup.
- Chicken Broth: Forms the liquid base, adding depth and richness.
- Fish Sauce: Enhances the umami element of the soup, adding a subtle savory note and authentic Thai flavor.
- Sugar: Balances the subtle heat of the curry paste with a hint of sweetness.
- Thai Red Curry Paste: Infuses the soup with a bold flavor. Red curry paste is generally not very spicy, but the flavor profile can vary between brands.
- Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Adds creaminess and a slight sweetness that tempers the spice.
- Lime Juice: Provides a bright, tangy contrast to the rich, creamy soup.
- Sriracha, Scallions, Peanuts, and Cilantro: Optional garnishes that add texture and additional layers of flavor to the finished dish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger.
Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the butternut squash, carrots, broth, fish sauce, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the curry paste.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until silky smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender in batches, making sure to leave the hole in the lid open to allow the steam to escape.)
Stir in the coconut milk, lime juice, and salt; bring to a simmer but do not boil. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding the remaining tablespoon of curry paste if more heat is desired.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with Sriracha and garnish with the scallions, peanuts, and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!
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Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, very roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger, from a 2-inch (5-cm) knob (see note)
- 2½ lb pre-cut butternut squash or one 3-lb (1.3-kg) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
- 3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1½ tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 14-oz (400-ml) can unsweetened coconut milk (preferably not low fat)
- Juice of half a lime, plus more limes for serving
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Garnishes
- Sriracha sauce, for drizzling
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary.
- Add the squash, carrots, broth, fish sauce, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the curry paste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Using a hand-held immersion blender, purée the soup until silky smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then purée in a blender in batches, making sure to leave the hole in the lid open to allow the steam to escape.) Stir in the coconut milk, lime juice, and salt (if the coconut milk is solidified, use the immersion blender to mix it in). Bring to a simmer, then taste and adjust the seasonings, adding the remaining tablespoon of curry paste if more heat is desired. Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with the Sriracha and garnish with the scallions, peanuts, and cilantro, if using.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is a great recipe. Just spicy enough and full of flavor. This will be a regular in our home, well RV!
This soup is a new favorite! It is delicious. It makes a large batch. I ended up freezing half. I’m glad to say it freezes well. I enjoyed it again, yesterday!
This soup is delicious 😋. I bought frozen organic butternut squash at Costco. It came as 4 packaged 1lb. Bags. I used 2 bags and I think I had too much broth. It was very thin. But the squash could have also been watery due to it being frozen. It was still so good. I’ll use less broth next time if using frozen. All the ingredients I had on hand except cilantro. Hubby hates cilantro. Too bad for him. I have been trying more Thai recipes and I love this soup. I also always use the “better than bouillon” brand of soup stock. Chicken and veggie and they are organic also.
I also topped the soup off with raw baby spinach. Yummmmm
Thanks this is really delicious! I decided to roast the squash cubes/ carrots/ onion and garlic in the oven until tender and then add to soup pot and proceed as written. Great soup- thanks!
This is such a tasty soup and so easy to make. I substituted veggie broth for the chicken broth and omitted the fish sauce as I am vegetarian. Still delicious!
Garnished with cilantro, scallions, and roasted pumpkin seeds, instead of peanuts.
I froze a portion and it tasted just as good as freshly made. Loved this! Yum!!
I didn’t really care for it – perhaps it would have been more to my liking if I used half the amount of fish sauce. Also I was just a “tad” short of the recommended butternut squash amount – perhaps 1/4 lb so maybe that made the fish sauce stand out more. Didn’t really think the coconut milk added that much to the soup either unfortunately. My red curry paste wasn’t a fresh jar either (one month away from expiry) so it’s possible that may have also muted the curry flavor.
I thought I was in trouble when I put the fish sauce in. That stuff is awful! So I let it cook out and it got better. Couldn’t taste it at all.
You know what Jenn? I do not go out to eat as much anymore, because with your recipes I feel like I am having a fine dining experience at home. This soup is wonderful, the flavors blend to perfection. I added all the optional ingredients and it brought the soup to a new level of goodness. It was easy to make, did not take long and tasted incredible.
😊
This was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Hi Jenn, wanting to try another of your great recipes for a ladies lunch this week. To make this slightly more substantial do you think adding some fish, say prawns and/or cod, salmon for the last few minutes of cooking would work ok? Many thanks, Maxine
Hi Maxine, I think prawns would work well here. I might cook them separately and use them as more of a garnish (only because it would look prettier) but either way will work. Hope you all enjoy it!
Great idea Jenn thanks, sounds perfect, grilled prawns on top would look top notch!