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Tom Kha Gai Butternut Squash Soup

Tom kha gai soup with a twist. Butternut squash purée makes it creamy and luxurious and doubles the flavor. Warm, gingery, spicy, and the perfect vegan, GF-friendly soup to warm your weary bones.
Author Minimalist Baker
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Bowl of Butternut Squash Tom Kha Gai Soup topped with cilantro
4.92 from 47 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Course Entrée
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Thai-Inspired, Vegan (optional), Vegetarian
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 small butternut squash (skin and seeds removed & cubed)
  • 1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
  • 4 cups low-sodium veggie broth (DIY or store-bought)
  • 1 small shallot (thinly sliced)
  • 1 small knob fresh ginger (grated // 1 knob yields ~ 3 Tbsp)
  • 2 stalks lemongrass (cut into 6-inch pieces for easy removal before serving)*
  • 1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce (optional)
  • 1/2 medium Thai chili or serrano pepper (thinly sliced, seeds mostly removed)
  • For serving: lime (quartered), fresh chopped cilantro and basil for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees (204 C). Add butternut squash to a baking sheet and toss with 2 Tbsp olive or coconut oil and a bit of sea salt. Roast for 12-15 minutes or until tender and cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In the meantime, add coconut milk, vegetable broth, ginger, lemongrass, and shallot to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then lower heat to a simmer. Add fish sauce (optional) and sliced pepper and stir.
  • Add butternut squash to a food processor or blender with 1 cup of the broth and puree until smooth (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Add back into the soup and stir until well combined. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I added more ginger and a pinch more salt at this point.
  • Before serving, discard lemongrass (if you used fresh stalks – otherwise ignore this instruction). Garnish with fresh lime juice (HIGHLY recommended), fresh basil and cilantro.
  • This would be lovely over rice or on its own. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for several days. Freeze for longer term storage.

Notes

* If you can’t find fresh lemongrass, sub 1 heaping Tbsp lemongrass paste (found in the herb section) for the 2 stalks lemongrass.
* Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 165 Carbohydrates: 19 g Protein: 4.3 g Fat: 7.5 g Saturated Fat: 5.4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 445 mg Fiber: 2.5 g Sugar: 4 g