Heidi Swanson's Summer Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

By á-81356

This summertime soup is a spicy, tangy blend of Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, tofu, and squash. It'll make you sweat — in a good way.

This soup is one of the rare soups that sounds appealing in the summertime — a spicy, tangy blend of Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, tofu, and squash. It'll make you sweat — in a good way.

This has so many flavors I love — starting with the red curry paste and ending with the coconut milk. There are potatoes to make it even more hearty and dinner-worthy, but beyond that it's simple. Just a few ingredients, and lots of vegetables. I imagine eating this lukewarm over sticky rice in the summer, and very hot in the winter.

The soup is versatile, too — make it pureed or chunky. As Heidi explains, "For the smooth version, you can substitute green curry paste for the red, and puree the whole lot with an immersion blender before topping with the tofu croutons and serving. This chunky version is primarily a concession to aesthetics; when you puree the red curry with green-skinned vegetables, it makes for an off-colored soup."

Tofu croutons, what a smart idea! This flavorful soup was easy to make, fragrant, and comforting, and had enough vegetables and tofu packed in to be nice and filling. It's a great way to use up summer squash, but I imagine you can sub in other vegetables or even chicken if you want to change things up.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Sea salt, fine
• 1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste, plus more if needed
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for tofu croutons
• 3 large shallots, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds yellow summer squash or zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 12 ounces potatoes, unpeeled, cut into tiny cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups lightly flavored vegetable broth or water
• 1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

Preparation

Step 1

Season the tofu with a pinch of salt, toss with a small amount of oil, and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, and continue cooking until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy, 3 to 4 more minutes. Set aside.

Mash the curry paste into the coconut oil until the paste is well-incorporated. Heat this paste in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the shallots and a couple of pinches of salt and sauté until the shallots are tender, another couple of minutes. Stir in the squash and potatoes and cook until the squash starts to get tender, a few minutes. Stir in the garlic, then add the broth and coconut milk. Bring just to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or curry paste, if needed. Serve each bowl topped with some of the tofu croutons.