Why Should You Make This Recipe?
Fragrant, flavorful, and photogenic, this butternut squash red curry has everything. You’ll adore the authentic flavors and nutritious ingredients of this delectable Thai food.
- You only need nutrient-packed ingredients and a single pot to make this healthy, heartwarming dish. No one can resist this Thai squash curry’s zesty ginger, warm red curry paste, and sweet coconut. Plus, it is vegan and gluten-free so it works for most everyone.
- Avid meal-preppers will love how well this dish keeps in storage. Not only can this soup be frozen for up to a month, but the irresistible Thai flavors also develop while they sit.
- Serve it as a soup or as a curry – You can take this basic squash curry recipe and serve it either a curried soup or more of a curry dish using the same ingredients and a single measurement change.
Ingredients
To put together your Thai butternut squash curry soup, you’ll need the following: vegetable oil, onion, fresh ginger, garlic, red curry paste, cubed butternut squash, red lentils, kosher salt, black pepper, vegetable broth, full-fat coconut milk, and Sriracha sauce.
You can also choose to add cilantro, lime juice, and sliced onion for garnish.
Notes on Ingredients & Substitutions
- Oil: Though I use extra virgin olive oil in this recipe, any vegetable oil will work, from coconut oil to avocado oil and beyond. An equal amount of ghee would also work.
- Thai Red Curry Paste: I used Thai Kitchen’s Gluten-Free Red Curry Paste (affiliate link) when making my butternut squash curry sauce. However, you can use any red Thai curry paste you prefer, including a homemade version.
- Unsweetened Coconut Milk: I use full-fat coconut milk for this soup’s thick, creamy flavor. However, you can use lite coconut milk as well. If you’re not looking for a vegan option, you can also use heavy cream.
- Vegetable Broth: Want to give your Thai squash curry recipe extra savory flavor? Swap out your vegetable broth for chicken broth for a little extra kick. You can even make homemade chicken stock using my fan-favorite recipe.
- Sriracha: Made with chili peppers, Sriracha (affiliate link) gives this Thai butternut squash soup its savory spice. Omit the sauce for a milder, kid-friendly version of this spicy curry.
- Cilantro: The cilantro used in this curried squash soup with coconut milk is optional. If you’re not a fan of this herb, you can either swap it out for parsley or omit it entirely.
How to Make Squash Curry
Whether you want to know how to prepare butternut squash for curry, how to cut butternut squash, or how long to simmer your soup, you’ll find all you need in these easy instructions.
- Saute the aromatics: Heat oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Then, add the onion, ginger, and garlic, and stir frequently. Once the onion is translucent (3-4 minutes), add the red curry paste and cook for another minute.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: Add the butternut squash, red lentils, salt, black pepper, and vegetable stock to the red curry sauce, and turn the heat to medium-high.
- Simmer the soup: Once the mixture boils, reduce it to medium-low heat, and let the soup simmer until the squash cubes are cooked (20-25 minutes). Don’t forget to stir every so often. Insert a knife into a squash cube to check if the soup is finished. The curry is done when the knife goes in and comes out easily.
- Blend the Thai red curry with butternut squash: Remove the soup from the heat. Then, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it reaches the desired consistency, whether chunky or smooth.
- Add the milk and hot sauce: Stir the coconut milk and Sriracha into the blended curry. Once thoroughly mixed, taste the soup to see if more seasoning is needed.
- Garnish and serve: If desired, garnish each bowl with fresh cilantro and sliced red onion, and serve with lime wedges.
How to Store, Freeze, and Thaw
Whether you’re looking for easy weeknight meal prep or a dish you can save for weeks, this coconut curry butternut squash soup is just what you need. Busy weeknights, meet delicious leftovers.
- Storage: When storing your soup, first let it reach room temperature. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: To freeze this dish, let it reach room temperature and then put it into an airtight container. Once in the freezer, this butternut curry will stay fresh for up to 1 month.
- Thaw: When ready to eat, let your Thai red curry with butternut squash thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat the soup on the stove to your desired temperature.
What to Serve With This Recipe?
One of the best things about soup is how many sides you can serve with it! Packed with hearty carbs and mellow flavors, you’ll round out any meal plan with these easy sides.
- Jasmine rice: If you’re wondering what to serve with curried butternut squash soup, one of my go-to’s is jasmine rice. Light and fragrant, this side will take your white rice game to the next level.
- Crusty bread: Hearty, tender, and always satisfying, artisanal bread is just what your curried butternut squash soup needs. You can even use my No Knead Bread for a stress-free, 4-ingredient loaf.
- Naan bread: A classic Indian side, naan bread is just the dish to serve alongside your Thai red curry with butternut squash. This oven-baked flatbread is as soft as it is tasty.
- Sweet potato biscuits: Nothing tastes better with red curry squash than sweet potatoes! These fluffy and flaky biscuits are a great recipe to balance the spicy flavors of this red curry recipe.
- Almond flour biscuits: In just 25 minutes, you can have these low-carb, gluten-free biscuits on your dinner table. Plus, this simple side only uses five simple ingredients.
Variations
There’s no reason not to make this versatile recipe just the way you like it. Whether you add a protein, omit an herb, or adjust its thickness, this butternut curry soup is guaranteed to satisfy.
- Make it a Curry: Though this soup calls for 5 cups of vegetable broth, you can make it thicker and more curry-like by using 3-4 cups instead. That way, this dish will be easier to serve alongside sides like rice and naan.
- Thai Kabocha Squash Soup: Give your nutty soup a tantalizing sweetness by swapping your squash. Just replace your butternut squash with an equal amount of cubed kabocha. And if you have some leftover Kabocha, be sure to try my Kabocha Squash Soup recipe as well.
- Chicken Butternut Squash Curry Soup: Meat lovers don’t have to miss out on this Thai cuisine. Pack this dish with extra protein by adding a cup of cooked, shredded chicken. You can even use my super simple Bone-In Chicken Breast Recipe!
- Roasted Curried Butternut Squash Soup: If you have any leftover roasted butternut squash cubes or air-fried butternut squash cubes — from making Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash Salad or Ottolenghi’s Butternut Squash Salad —you can use them in this recipe. Cut your cooking time in half with this easy leftover solution.
- Butternut Squash Curry With Spinach: Did someone say “superfood”? Turn this vegan soup into a nutrient-packed power-meal by adding 3 cups of baby spinach.
Liren’s Meat to the Side
This delicious butternut squash curry recipe comes from my friend Liren’s cookbook, Meat to The Side. If you do not know her, she is the blogger behind one of my favorite food blogs, Kitchen Confidante.
The idea with this book is to look at meat as the side dish and fill your plate with wholesome and nutritious “sides” but make them the main dish instead of meat. She calls it “A Plant Forward Guide to Bringing Balance to Your Plate.”
Similar to this red squash curry soup, Liren’s book offers doable recipes made with everyday ingredients you probably have in your pantry. If you are a fan of my blog, recipes, and the way I cook, I think you would truly enjoy this book.
More Soup and Curry Recipes You Might Like:
If you enjoyed this vegan butternut squash curry recipe, you’ll fall head over heels for these delicious dishes. Creamy, nutritious, and bursting with rich flavors, these curries, and curry-like soups can’t be beaten.
- Alison Roman’s Spiced Chickpea Stew
- Chicken and Chickpea Curry
- Tomato Curry Soup
- Slow Cooker Thai Beef Curry
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Red Lentil Soup
- Can’t get enough? Check out all our Asian recipes.
If you try this Butternut Squash Thai Curry Soup recipe or any other Asian recipes on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Butternut Squash Thai Curry Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about a cup)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash, from one medium sized butternut squash
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, plus more as garnish
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges & sliced red onion, as garnish – Optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the red curry paste and cook for another minute.
- Add cubed butternut squash, red lentils, salt, black pepper, and vegetable stock. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, turn it down to medium-low, and let it simmer (stirring occasionally) for 20-25 minutes or until the squash cubes are cooked. You can check doneness by inserting a knife in one of the cubes. If it comes in and out easily, it should be cooked.
- Off the heat, using an immersion blender blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. You can either blend it until smooth or live it chunky like I did.
- Stir in the coconut milk and Sriracha. Give it a taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
- Garnish with cilantro and sliced red onion if preferred. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Recipe reprinted with permission from Meat to the Side by Liren Baker (Victory Belt Publishing, 2021).
- Make it a Curry: Though this soup calls for 5 cups of vegetable broth, you can make it thicker and more curry-like by using 3-4 cups instead. That way, this dish will be easier to serve alongside sides like rice and naan.
- Storage: When storing your soup, first let it reach room temperature. Then, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: To freeze this dish, let it reach room temperature and then put it into an airtight container. Once in the freezer, this butternut curry will stay fresh for up to 1 month.
- Thaw: When ready to eat, let your Thai red curry with butternut squash thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat the soup on the stove to your desired temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum! My hubby said it was the only butternut squash soup he has liked so far. I took short cuts and used frozen cubed butternut squash and frozen chopped onion and bottled pre-grated ginger and garlic, so this took about 15 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes to cook, 10 min to puree and, dinner! I always double my recipes when I cook, so now I have soup for two more meals in the freezer. I served it over some rice. I sprinkled a little allspice and nutmeg in the soup for my taste buds. Since we are not vegetarian, I used bone broth, which gave each serving about 19 grams of protein, under 300 calories!
This is a lovely butternut soup. Very much enjoying your beautiful recipes, lots of flavor.
I am thrilled to hear that you love this soup. It is a favorite in our house as well. Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a review Doris.
It is much appreciated.
One of our new favorites for butternut squash! Thank you!
YAY! So happy to hear that Leslie. Thank you!
Wonderful soup! I did not have 4 cups butternut squash, only 3 cups. Next time, with less, I would decrease broth by 1/2 to 1 cup. The squirt of lime juice as a garnish is a must!
Thanks for sharing your experience Debbie. I am thrilled to hear that you liked it.
Ayse, I am so blown away – thank you for sharing the recipe from my book, and for photographing it so beautifully. Seriously gorgeous!!! Thank you for your never-ending support, dear friend!
You are the sweetest. Your book is a gem and I cannot continue to cook from it. The best is yet to come.