The 5 Star Makeover group is back this month with a very season appropriate type of dish: chilled soups. Who would want to eat a hot soup during a heat wave? Not me. And I was pretty sure neither would my guests I received this past Saturday night, at the end of a heat wave.
Funny enough the menu consisted of what were suppose to eat 3 months ago when we all rented a cottage together for a weekend. A couscous (coming soon) and a squash soup never saw day from lack of time. I took the ingredients home to freeze until we could all meet again. Our warm squash soup of the winter seemed inappropriate so I found a cold soup that fit the main ingredient. I forgot to take a picture of the soup with the fried cubes of pancetta I added…totally not a Thai thing but it worked perfectly.
Ξ Thai Butternut Squash Chilled Soup Ξ
Ingredients
1 stalk lemongrass (2 tbsp)
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1-inch piece ginger, roughly chopped
3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 tsp red curry paste
1 tsp palm sugar
2 kaffir lime leaves
2 tsp fish sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can coconut milk, light or regular
1 lime, juiced
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
Directions
1. Slice and mince the lemongrass stalk.
2. In a large pot add the lemongrass, stock and ginger. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the lemongrass and ginger out and return to the pot.
3. Add the butternut squash, red curry paste, sugar, kaffir leaves and fish sauce to the stock, and simmer until the squash is cooked for about 1 hour.
4. Remove from heat and blend the soup until smooth in a food processor or an immersion blender. Return to heat and add the coconut milk, lime juice and salt. Chill soup completely. Garnish the soup with cilantro and if you like some cubed pancetta.
Want more Thai recipes? Check out:
Butternut squash soup ranks top 3 with me! I love it hot, cold, lukewarm, during winter, summer, where ever in the world! So good. Lovely looking settings. I’m glad your guests enjoyed it.
A very fun combination of flavors! I love anything with lime : )
What stunning flavors… truly delightful soup! I imagine this being perfect for any season 🙂
Bright bold flavors. Executed perfectly. Bravo.
oh wow this is totally Thai version soup! Well except butternut squash and pancanta 😀 Brillian combination!
Love all these Thai flavors! A really great chilled soup. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Brilliant combination of ingredients for a chilled soup Evelyne!
Love your table setting with all the soups…
LL
I haven’t attempted to make chilled soup before, but I’ve been always curious about making it at home (have had it at restaurant before). It’s quite refreshing to drink cold soup and I love that you made it Thai flavor, my favorite!
Cool idea to put a normally warm weather ingredient into the soup. And what flavors you added! I love palm sugar and think it adds so much to a dish. The rest is pure genius… all of those great curry additions give heat but the soup is cold.
I bet your guests were crazy about it.
The vichyssoise’ of squash..although I’m pretty sure vichyssoise means cold potato soup! It looks lovely, Ev, and perfect for summer! Love the coconut milk in it! I always look forward to your 5-star makeover posts, and am never disappointed!
THrilled to see the coconut milk, since I’m eating non-dairy. I can see this anytime of year, cold now and warm in the Fall. Great recipe.
This is a great summer soup recipe. Thai food is so delightfully spiced, I imagine this squash soup to be irresistible on a warm summer day. Magnificent!
I rarely think of making or eating cold soup, but all the flavours here sound amazing, so I may have to give this a try.
There’s no way I’d cook or eat a hot soup in this weather, either. I’ve never tried a chilled squash soup, but adding the Thai flavors and pancetta make it most appealing! We’re supposed to break a 25 year old record high tomorrow…yikes!
I am loving the Thai flavors in this delicious looking soup! Awesome!
I seriously adore butternut squash! Wish I could still find some at this time so I could whip up some soup for dinner with some homemade bread. Yummy!
I’m a big fan of butternut squash and Thai flavors so you won me over immediately. Well done!
I love the flavor profile in this soup — coconut was a great choice. Great way to make squash perfect for summer fare!
ooh, this certainly sounds like a delicious soup! bet it would work well warm or cold 🙂
Thanks Shannon yes it is great hot or cold. And in the leftovers I threw in a lentil soup too. Awesome.
The soup was excellent! High marks from all the judges 🙂
Thanks Gus and the judges lol