Craving a taste of autumn with an exotic twist? This Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup recipe delivers a creamy, comforting bowl packed with vibrant flavors, and it's surprisingly simple to make.
Get ready to discover how pumpkin, coconut milk, and red curry paste create culinary magic!
Ingredients
Let's gather our stuff to make some awesome Thai Fish Cakes! You're gonna need 1 lb of white fish fillets – skinless; pin-boned!
Next, grab 3 tbsp of red curry paste. I usually go for Maesri 'cause it tastes super authentic, but hey, you do you! Plus, 1 tbsp each of cilantro and fish sauce—or soy sauce if you're avoiding fishy flavors. Don't forget 1 tbsp of lime juice for that zing!
Crack in 1 egg. Then, measure out ¼ cup of rice flour – cornstarch works, too. And if you're feeling fancy, slice up 6 green beans real fine.
Lastly, you'll need 4-6 tbsp of oil. Vegetable, canola, sunflower—whatever floats your boat! Got all that? Awesome, we're ready to get cooking!
Instructions
Now, to get started transforming all our ingredients into something delicious, I'm going to throw the fish, red curry paste, cilantro, fish sauce, lime, and egg into a food processor. I'll whizz it all until the fish is minced, and it resembles a paste.
Next, I'll transfer it to a bowl — and stir in the rice flour and green beans until everything's nicely combined. Don't overmix it! I will measure out 1/4 cup of the mixture. I'm using an ice cream scoop for this part—easy peasy!
I'll form the mixture into patties that are about 1cm thick. Much like the recipe for ginger steamed fish, the dish is best served immediately. Heat up enough oil in a skillet to cover the base. I'm thinking 4 tablespoons, should do the trick!
I'll cook them for around 2 minutes on each side, or until they're a beautiful, deep golden brown. Last but not least, I'll serve them with sweet chili sauce cilantro, and lime wedges!
Recipe Notes
Before you get started, there are a few things I want to point out that I think you should know!
For that pumpkin, you can use fresh or canned—whatever's easiest for you! If you're roasting your own pumpkin, go for it! It adds a nice, roasted flavor, but canned is totally fine in a pinch, and I won't tell anyone. Similar to making a quick weeknight curry, keep in mind that canned ingredients can definitely save time.
If you're sensitive to spice, start with less red curry paste! You can always add more, but you can't take it out, you know? Taste as you go and adjust – it really makes a difference!
Don't skip the lime juice! It really brightens up the soup and adds that essential Thai zing. Trust me on this; it's a game-changer.
For an extra smooth soup, you can use an immersion blender right in the pot – carefully, of course! Or, you can blend it in batches in a regular blender, but be super careful with hot liquids!
Nutrition Information
Alright, let's check out what's cookin'—nutrition-wise! I've crunched the numbers for you. Each serving's about 87g, which is good to know!
So, per serving, you're lookin' at around 121 calories—not bad, right? Carbs sit at 5.2g, and protein clocks in at 9g – gotta get those gains!
Fat? About 7.2g, with saturated fat at just 1.3g! Cholesterol's 34mg. Sodium's 267mg; keep that in mind if you're watchin' your salt.
Let's talk vitamins! You'll get 200 IU of Vitamin A and 5.8mg of Vitamin C—boom, antioxidants! Calcium is 20mg, and iron is 0.9mg. Not too shabby—eh?
Potassium's at 69mg, and fiber is 1g—gotta keep things movin'. This is a snapshot, so adjust for any tweaks you whip up! Enjoy!
Short Recipe Version
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- Cilantro, for garnish
Instructions:
- Heat coconut oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened.
- Add garlic and red curry paste, cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and soy sauce.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in lime juice.
- Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Nutrition per serving (estimated):
- Calories: 250
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 5g
- Sugar: 8g
- Protein: 4g