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Thai Red-Curry Squash Soup. Photo © Con Poulos
© Con Poulos

Thai Red-Curry Squash Soup

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  • ACTIVE: 1 HR
  • TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS
  • SERVINGS: 12
  • •MAKE-AHEAD
  • •STAFF-FAVORITE
  • •VEGETARIAN

Joanne Chang switches up the flavors of Thanksgiving's classic squash soup with a host of Asian ingredients, including curry paste, ginger and coconut milk.

Plus: F&W's Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide

  1. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  3. 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger, plus 1 cup slivered fresh ginger
  4. 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
  5. 3 pounds kabocha, kuri or buttercup squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
  6. 5 cups water
  7. Two 13 1/2-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
  8. 2 lime leaves or 1 teaspoon lime zest
  9. 1 large stalk of fresh lemongrass, smashed and cut into 2-inch lengths
  10. 2 tablespoons sugar
  11. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  12. Salt
  13. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  14. 2 large scallions, thinly sliced
  1. In a large, heavy pot, melt the butter. Add the onion and sliced ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 7 minutes. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the squash and water and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until soft, 25 minutes. Add the coconut milk, lime leaves and lemongrass, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes longer. Discard the lime leaves and lemongrass.
  2. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender; add it to a clean pot. Stir in the sugar and lime juice and season with salt.
  3. In a medium skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the slivered ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden brown and crisp, 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the ginger to paper towels to drain.
  4. Reheat the soup; ladle it into bowls. Garnish with the fried ginger and scallions and serve.
Make Ahead The soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Suggested Pairing

Rieslings with a bit of residual sugar are perfect with sweet-spicy Asian dishes.