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Thai-spiced roast pumpkin soup

by Jeanne Horak on November 3, 2010 30 Comments in Recipes - gluten-free, Recipes - vegetarian, Soup, Vegetable side dishes

ThaiPumpkinSoup © J Horak-Druiff 2010

My hometown of Port Elizabeth has many great characteristics.  It has great people who are friendly and welcoming.  It has miles of pristine beaches.  It has all the amenities of a big city while still being a comfortably manageable size.

But what it doesn’t have is four noticeable seasons.

Obviously, there is summer – a whole lot of it (we sometimes tell people that moving from Port Elizabeth to London means trading 9 months of summer for 9 months of winter!).  And then there is winter, where the temperatures get below 10C and there is frost if it’s really cold.  But Spring is not heralded by the arrival of seas of daffodils or trees exploding into masses of canydfloss blossoms – it’s simple the period when you no longer need to carry a jersey everywhere with you, but it’s not yet warm enough to swim.  Similarly, there is no real Autumn. A couple of trees lose their leaves, but for the most part Autumn is just the time when you have to be quite brave to swim, but you can still wear summery sandals. ThaiPumpkinSoupCollagePumpkin Bearing that in mind, imagine what a mind-blowing experience my first year in London was.  Spring brought an exuberance of blossoms absolutely everywhere; and eye-popping seas of golden daffodils in unlikely places (like in the middle of traffic circles!).  I remember my mom trying to get them to flower in PE by putting the bulbs in the freezer for winter – but here they grow, unsupervised, like weeds. Autumn, if anything, was even better.  The crisp but chilly days; the smell of woodsmoke from the allotments as people burn their garden waste; and of course the colours. Oh the colours… Even the most mundane-looking trees are suddenly ablaze with colour, especially the wild cherry trees near our house that this year have turned not their usual yellow but a jaw-dropping spectrum of colours from palest shaded salmon to a deep oxblood red (testmimony, I am told, to our long and hot summer this year which increases the sugar content of the leaves and encourages rich Autumn colours).  In fact, if you get news one day that I have been run over by a bus, you can be reasonably certain that I stepped absent-mindedly off a kerb while staring up at a particularly colourful Autumn tree. ThaiPumpkinSoupCollage2 Another benefit of Autumn is of course the easy availability of pumpkins and squash.  A couple of weekends ago I hosted a “getting to know your camera” afternoon here at CookSister HQ together with the lovely ladies Ailbhe from Simply Splendiferous, Michele from 5a.m. Foodie and Bron from Feast With Bron.  Not only did Bron bring me some utterly sinful pork scratchings from a market near Oval – Michele also brought me some homegrown tomatoes and a pumpkin. The pumpkin sat on my kitchen counter for about 2 weeks, thinking about what to do when it grew up.  And then on Sunday I made the pumpkin’s career choice on its behalf: soup.  But not just any old soup – I wanted something a little different; something richer and more flavouful than my standard butternut soup.  And in the end, inspiration came in the form of this recipe from 101 Cookbooks.  I tweaked it a little, especially in the adding of loads of coriander during roasting, and the end result was nothing short of breathtaking.  Please try it out soon – it will give you a whole new reason to look forward to Autumn! If you like this recipe, you may also want to try my

  • butternut squash soup
  • cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup
  • Moroccan harira soup

And if you are wondering where I got the adorable bamboo leaf plate and bowl, they were both kindly sent to me as free samples by Restaurantware, who make a beautiful range of bamboo biodegradable disposable cutlery and crockery for catering professionals.

 

ThaiPumpkinSoup End

 

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Thai-spiced roast pumpkin soup
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
1 hour 15 mins
Total time
1 hour 30 mins
 
This soup is low on effort but high on flavour - perfect for chilly Autumn evening!
Author: Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Thai
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 medium-sized pumpkin (15-20cm in diameter)
  • olive oil
  • butter
  • 1 Tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 x 400g can of coconut milk
  • 3-4 Tbsp green Thai curry paste
  • 500ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • chilli flakes to garnish
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
  2. Chop the pumpkin into 6 or 8 wedges.  Scoop out the seeds and place the wedges skin side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil.
  3. Brush them with a little olive oil and place a dab of butter in the hollow of each wedge.  Sprinkle liberally with a mix of the cumin and the coriander.  Roast in the over for about an hour or until soft enough to be skewered with a fork.
  4. In the meantime, heat a little olive oil in a large pot and gently fry the onions until translucent but not brown. Scoop the flesh out of the pumpkin skin and add to the onion in the pot.  Mash with a fork.
  5. Add the coconut milk and Thai curry paste and stir until it starts to bubble.  Using either a masher or a hand blender, mash to make a smooth puree.
  6. Add the chicken stock in increments of about 150ml, stirring well after each addition,  until the desired thickness of soup is obtained.
  7. Serve hot, topped with a sprinkling of chilli flakes.
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  1. Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says

    November 4, 2010 at 2:24 am

    I love the idea of pumpkin with the green curry. This soup is going on my try-it list!

    Reply
  2. nina says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:11 am

    Interesting Thai twist. I love it! Your pictures are lovely Jeanne!

    Reply
  3. johanna says

    November 4, 2010 at 6:05 am

    mmmh that sounds divine! i can see how you’d need a spicy and warming soup in blighty… me, i am seriously wondering how i’ll ever be able to get into the christmas feeling with the weather here – any suggestions? i am not missing the cold weather, but in a way i am, because it feels totally unnatural to be sweating in november…

    Reply
  4. Firefly says

    November 4, 2010 at 6:39 am

    I love Butternut Soup so I am sure that this one will tickle my fancy as well.

    Reply
  5. Tandy says

    November 4, 2010 at 7:25 am

    oh yummy! We also don’t have seasons here – today it is winter again 🙂 I think you need to have plate 2 page here as well xxx

    Reply
  6. meeta says

    November 4, 2010 at 7:54 am

    Love the leaves you have used as props here Jeanne ;o)! I love thai curry paste and this soup has such wonderful soothing and warming highlights. delicious!

    Reply
  7. 5am Foodie says

    November 4, 2010 at 10:04 am

    I’m glad the pumpkin made a decision about its future – sounds like an excellent choice. I’ve got one that’s decided to become a tagine when it grows up, so that’s tonight’she dinner taken care of. I love the pumpkin and coconut combination that you went with – so smooth and sweet and just quite delicious!
    And thanks again for your “photography 101” lesson. It really was useful, and a great afternoon of food and chatter. I’m starting to think more before I take photos, instead of just pointing and hoping for the best. Thanks also to Nick for putting up with us!

    Reply
  8. Kit says

    November 4, 2010 at 12:04 pm

    Lovely autumnal colours and flavour in your gorgeous pics, Jeanne! We do get a bit more of spring and autumn than PE but I still feel shortchanged on the autumn leaves and the daffs, so it’s nice to get a glimpse of them from you. Today it is really spring-like with blustery showers and a chilly wind – Surely November is supposed to be summer here!

    Reply
  9. Marisa says

    November 4, 2010 at 3:16 pm

    Fabulous looking soup Jeanne! Yes, I do think we don’t notice the seasons as much here in SA, but I kinda like that. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Krista says

    November 4, 2010 at 5:26 pm

    I loved hearing about your seasons back home. 🙂 Amazing how places can be so different, yet beautiful in their own right. Your soup is gorgeous. I can almost taste it, marveling at the wonderful spices. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Lizzy says

    November 4, 2010 at 7:47 pm

    Pumpkins are a few of the vegetables that I don’t like cooked cause of the sweet taste it has…however this seems a way bit different

    Reply
  12. Sally - My Custard Pie says

    November 5, 2010 at 5:16 am

    Have just ordered my first DSLR so a getting to know your camera session sounds very appealing. Shame I’m not on the same continent! Love the bamboo stuff and the recipes of course, and you make me miss England. Haven’t seen an Autumn in over 16 years…boo hoo.

    Reply
  13. Debs says

    November 5, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    Looks delicious.

    Reply
  14. Delishhh says

    November 5, 2010 at 5:50 pm

    Nice recipe! I love this soup. I just did a very similar one here: http://delishhh.com/?p=2445 and everyone loved it!

    Reply
  15. Sarah, Maison Cupcake says

    November 5, 2010 at 5:51 pm

    Mmm now a Thai twist on pumpkin soup sounds absolutely wonderful. I will have to buy another pumpkin! Wonderful pictures with the leaves too.

    Reply
  16. Soma says

    November 5, 2010 at 7:38 pm

    Love the Thai flavors here. I have done the squash soup with coconut milk but never used the real curry paste. So perfect.
    The soul orange leaf is beautiful!

    Reply
  17. Lacey says

    November 6, 2010 at 6:08 am

    Your photos are amazing. You should submit this post to dishfolio.com!

    Reply
  18. pinky black says

    November 6, 2010 at 7:37 am

    i tried the 101cookbook’s version and it’s very breathtaking. and i won’t hesitate to try your version. but is there a big difference between pumpkin and squash? aside from pumpkin being a little bigger.

    Reply
  19. Charlotte says

    November 6, 2010 at 2:16 pm

    Just made this, with butternut, to huge acclaim from my family. Jeanne, Cooksister is turning out to be my go-to website when my recipe books hold no inspiration. Your recipe index is superb. What I want to know is where is your recipe book and for that matter, BBC, where is Jeanne’s cookery show?!

    Reply
  20. Barbara @Modern Comfort Food says

    November 6, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    You must be made of sterner stuff than I, Jeanne. I find London’s (very) late spring and (very) early fall to be delightful but am too much the hothouse flower for the winters you have there. I love the way you’ve incorporated coconut milk and spices to add some tropical warmth to this seasonal fall soup. This recipe is simply stunning and a must-try for me.

    Reply
  21. Amy says

    November 7, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    Just had this for breakfast.
    Yum yum!
    Thank you!

    Reply
  22. Nicole @ running around the rock says

    November 7, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    Just wanted to let you know that I made this soup for a fundraiser our swim team was putting on this weekend, and it was such a hit they begged me to make it for today as well. People were coming back asking for more. One person didn’t even like pumpkin but loved the soup. For reference I used canned pumpkin 4 large cans (29oz. each) and doubled everything else in the recipe. The perfect fall soup!

    Reply
  23. Jamie says

    November 8, 2010 at 9:56 am

    I love the Restaurantware bowl and spoon. And I love the soup. I love the Thai flavors you have added. What a huge spicy difference from the pumpkin soup I usually make. And Port Elizabeth may be very like season-wise where I grew up. 9 months of blazing hot summer with 3 beautiful, cool winter months. So of course I go nuts for Autumn! And Autumn food. Like this.

    Reply
  24. Bela says

    November 14, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    Super Recipe, will try it soon.. :))

    Reply
  25. Sophie says

    November 15, 2010 at 5:52 am

    Could I substitute the real pumpkin for a can of Pumpkin?

    Reply
  26. Margot C&V (@coffeenvanilla) says

    October 30, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    Sounds yummy but those little pumpkins look too cute to be eaten!

    Reply
  27. Chippy says

    May 29, 2016 at 7:45 pm

    Absolutely loved this Thai Pumpkin soup. Made it today on a cold & sunny Autumn afternoon on the Western Cape! Such an easy recipe & so delicious.
    I also loved your write up before the recipe about the seasons in Africa compared to London.
    I love both continents but South Africa wins in the end!

    Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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