A delicious Thai carrot and pumpkin soup with coconut milk and Thai red curry paste. Start with cubed fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin puree. (A great use for leftover pumpkin puree!). This is a vegetable-rich and flavourful carrot soup that’s perfect for Fall!
This Thai carrot soup is a perfect Fall soup, with lots of carrots and pumpkin (fresh or puree). It gets a Thai twist with Thai curry paste and coconut milk and some shredded coconut. I loved the coconut in this soup, but if you’re not sure, feel free to leave it out. There still lots of coconut flavour going on in this soup.
This is a great soup for Thanksgiving! Not only is it delicious and uses Fall produce, the soup itself is dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan friendly, too! I enjoy this soup all Fall and Winter, but I think it would make a lovely and different soup for Thanksgiving, as well.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Thai red curry paste – Look for this in the small jars with the Asian foods. The 1 Tbsp of red curry paste will provide a nice spice level. If you’d like it a little milder or to satisfy the widest range of tastes (for entertaining), reduce to 2 tsp.
Pumpkin – You can use fresh pumpkin or pumpkin puree for this soup. I always seem to have pumpkin puree on hand, especially in the Fall, so that’s what I use. It’s a great use for pumpkin puree that is leftover from other uses.
Coconut – I don’t usually have desiccated coconut around, which would be best to use for this soup, so I just run regular shredded coconut through the food processor to break it down. Start with 1/4 cup shredded, and you’ll end up with about 2 Tablespoons.
Coconut Milk – You can use full-fat or reduced-fat coconut milk for this soup. Reduced-fat will produce a slightly thinner soup.
Recipe tip!
Like all soups, be sure to taste and season well with salt and pepper, as needed. If the soup tastes flat, it needs more salt!
Making ahead, storing and freezing
You can easily make this soup ahead. Refrigerate for up to 2 days and reheat as needed.
This soup can be frozen, though the texture may change slightly from the freeze/thaw process.
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Get the Recipe: Thai Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice or 14oz can of pumpkin puree
- 1 Tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger, or ginger paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 14 oz coconut milk, full fat recommended
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 oz shredded coconut, about 1/4 cup, run through a food processor or 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1 fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
- sour cream or Greek yogurt, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat 1 Tablespoon cooking oil over medium heat. Add 2 cups carrots (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice) and 1 1/2 cups pumpkin (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice or 14oz can of pumpkin puree) and stir to coat with oil. (*If using canned pumpkin, just cook the carrots at this point and add the pumpkin puree later.) Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times to make sure they don't stick. You don't want them to brown. Reduce heat if necessary.
- Remove the lid. Add 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 Tablespoon Thai red curry paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cumin and 1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or ginger paste) to the pot. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth, canned pumpkin (if using), 14 oz coconut milk (full fat recommended) and 1 oz shredded coconut (about 1/4 cup, run through a food processor or 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut).
- Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes or until carrots are tender.
- Puree with an immersion blender or in small batches in a blender.
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as needed. If the flavours taste a little flat, it needs more salt!
- Serve, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and fresh cilantro leaves. Very nice with a rustic, crusty bread.
Notes
More Thai soup recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
New fall favorite! So delicious, warms you from the inside out.
I’m so happy to hear, Jennifer :) Thanks so much!
My boss made a pumpkin and bean soup yesterday… which inspired me to make my own for lunches for the rest of the week. Delicious! I was out of coconut milk, so I swapped it for half and half. And I added a yellow onion when sauteeing the carrots. Yummmmy! I can’t wait for lunch again tomorrow.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)
Made this, with a few additions (extra veg and some quinoa) but having this soup as a solid base was great! Super creamy and delicious. I added a bit of cayenne and lime, which went really well with the spices it already called for. I love finding a really great soup that is solid as-is, but also can act as base for when you’re feeling creative/have to use up some stuff in the fridge :P
So glad you enjoyed it and yes, it’s a great soup to customize as you go, for sure! Thanks :)
Delicious subtle flavor. I reduced the broth by a cup and it was perfect.
So glad you enjoyed it, Roberta! Thanks :)
This soup was delicious with a couple of tweaks. The carrots and pumpkin I used we’re home grown, and the pumpkin very small so perhaps lacked some of the sweetness you may get from canned pumpkin purée. This made it essential for me to add some honey to the recipe… approx 2 tablespoons. I also added the juice of half a lime.
Delicious. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it, Steve :) Thanks so much!
I love these flavors, what a delicious soup for the cooler nights ahead!
Thanks Laura :)
Will this soup freeze?
Hi Kathy and yes, it should freeze just fine :)
I would love to try this soup. Just wondering, canned coconut milk or in the carton?
Thanks.
Dawn
Hi Dawn, I only ever use canned myself.
Thanks Jannifer. I do as well but I thought I’d best check.
I’ve never made a soup of yours that I didn’t like so I am betting money this one tastes great. I will definitely consider the shredded coconut addition. Pinned!
Thanks Milena and I think you will like the coconut :)
I love anything Thai Jennifer, so this soup will definitely be added to my fall lineup of soups. So flavorful and comforting! And healthy!
Thanks Mary Ann!
I bet this would be a terrific soup for Thanksgiving, especially at our house. Love all those flavors and that color is stunning!
Thanks Tricia and yes, it would be perfect for Thanksgiving :)
I love the coconut element in this stunning soup, and I’m excited because the winter squash has been piling up in my kitchen, I just can’t seem to pass them by at the supermarket. Looks super delicious, thanks Jennifer :)
Thanks Sue and me, too. The flavours all work so well together!
We get the sweetest carrots here in Fairbanks. I buy about 50 lbs in the fall and store them away. I always look for great ways to use them in my lunch for work. I have to say, this looks like a great recipe. I will be making it soon.
I think I could eat this all day long, because I love such delicious looking things :)
This looks delicious! I love Thai spiced soups, AND I actually have a pumpkin left from this fall that I need to cook. This soup looks like a wonderful way to use some of it. :)