Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry Soup with Shrimp and Rice Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons canola or coconut oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons red curry paste, more to taste, if needed
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, about 4-5 cups
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, if needed
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 6-8 ounces brown or white rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a 4- to 5-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Take care not to let the garlic and ginger burn.
- Stir in the curry paste, sugar and salt and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Stir in the squash, broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the squash is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add additional broth during the cooking time if you want the soup more soupy and less thick.
- Stir in the shrimp and simmer just until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and add additional salt and/or pepper to taste, if needed. Serve immediately over cooked rice noodles with lime wedges for garnish.
Notes
Chicken: Luci, the kind reader who forwarded me this recipe, says she uses chicken. If doing so, you'll want to allow more time for the chicken to cook in the simmering liquid since it takes longer than shrimp so adjust the recipe accordingly (I haven't tried it personally yet).
Butternut Squash: I often have cubed butternut squash in the freezer and it works great in this recipe; I throw it in frozen and add a few minutes to the simmering time.
Rice Noodles: you can prepare the rice noodles in a separate pot toward the end of the 20-25 minute simmering time. I prefer boiling rice noodles as opposed to soaking them (many brands give both directions) - they only take a few minutes to cook. I rinse them briefly in cold water after draining so they aren't super sticky.