Thailand is famous for its Tom Yam and Tom Kha soups, but our favourite is Thai Pumpkin Shrimp Soup. The origins of this soup can be traced back to the XVI century, when pumpkins were introduced to Southeast Asia by Portuguese traders. The soup is a perfect blend of local and foreign ingredients, creating a diverse and unique flavour profile.
Ingredients for 5-6 servings:
For the red curry paste:
- 2-3 dry red chili peppers
- 1 piece galangal, about 2 cm
- 2 shallots
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the soup:
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 500 gr chicken necks
- 3-4 leaves of kaffir lime
- 1 kg butternut pumpkin or a mixture of regular and butternut pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 800 gr shrimps
- 200 gr of Asian mushrooms (enoki, oyster or shimeji)
Preparation instructions:
- Prepare chicken stock:
- Remove the skin from the chicken before cooking to prevent the stock from becoming too fatty.
- Soak the chicken in cold water for 30 minutes to remove blood.
- Bring water to a boil in a large pan, add the chicken, and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain the water and rinse the chicken thoroughly.
- Add 1 litre of cold water to the pan with the chicken and bring it to a boil.
- Once the stock starts boiling, immediately turn the heat down. Use a fine mesh skimming utensil to remove any foaming fat. Repeat until the broth is clear.
- After 15 minutes of simmering, add 3-4 kaffir leaves and the woody parts of the lemongrass stalks to the stock. Set the tender parts of the lemongrass aside for the red curry paste.
- Continue to simmer gently for about 30-40 minutes.
- Pass the stock through a fine sieve.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and separate the meat from the bones. Set the chicken meat aside.
- Prepare the red curry paste:
- Soak 2-3 dry red chili peppers in hot water for 15 minutes.
- Blend the following ingredients: 2-3 drained red chili peppers, a 2cm piece of galangal (cut in pieces), 2 shallots (cut in pieces), 4-5 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and the tender parts of 3 lemongrass stalks.
- Adjust the spiciness of the curry paste by adding more or less red chili peppers to the mix.
- Cook the soup:
- Peel and cut the pumpkin into pieces.
- Heat up 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pan on low heat, add 1/3 cup of the red curry paste, and stir for 5-7 minutes.
- Add 400 ml of coconut milk and continue cooking on low heat for another 15-20 minutes to infuse the flavour.
- Add the chicken stock and pumpkin to the pan, and cook for 8–10 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
- Remove the pan from the stove and puree the pumpkin in the pan with a hand blender.
- Add the chicken meat and mushrooms to the pan, and cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
- Add peeled and deveined shrimps and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes on low heat.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of lime juice into the pan, turn off the heat and stir well.
- Garnish the soup:
- Garnish the soup with finely chopped green onion, red chili pepper, basil, cilantro, and watercress.
- Enjoy your Thai Pumpkin Shrimp Soup!
