I month ago I took a cooking class at Sur La Table in Naperville, IL. I went for the Pad Thai recipe but fell in love with another recipe we made: Thai Pumpkin Curry Soup. Since that class, I’ve made it twice. It's that good! It's now going to be one of my Fall favorites.
Ingredients
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. Thai red curry paste (I highly recommend Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste; you can purchase it from Amazon for $7.99; also, it is spicy, so if you like heat, add another tablespoon or two).
2 T. ginger, minced
1 large garlic glove, minced
1 small red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
2 (13 1/2 oz.) cans coconut milk
2 ½ c. chicken broth
2 T. light brown sugar
2 T. fish sauce
3 oz. Shittake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 c. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ c. fresh cilantro
¼ c. fresh basil leaves
Directions
In a large sauce pan or small dutch over, over medium heat, add oil and curry paste. Using a wooden spoon, break up paste and toast until aromatic (about a minute)
Add ginger, garlic, onion, and pepper. Cook until soft (about 3 minutes)
Stir in pumpkin puree and cook until thick and reduced (about 5 minutes)
Add coconut milk, broth, sugar, fish sauce, mushrooms, and sweet potato. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add green beans and continue to simmer another 7-10 minutes, until beans are tender
Add herbs and incorporate
Serve with steamed jasmine rice, either as a side or put into the soup itself, and some thick, crusty bread.
Enjoy!