Chicken, Pumpkin and Potato Coconut Curry Soup

One of the best things about the passing of summer is the availability of pumpkins! I use the term pumpkins loosely here, I also mean winter squash. We love winter squash; we love homemade soup; we love coconut milk and we love Thai curry... so, this soup was born! It’s the perfect winter warmer.

Chicken is simmered with delicata squash (or kabocha) and potatoes (or rice) in a coconut curry soup base. It’s creamy, well-flavored and has all the major food groups. If you’re vegetarian, feel free to substitute the chicken for tofu.

This batch makes enough for six, but we ate it in one sitting (I told you we’re big eaters!)

CHICKEN, PUMPKIN AND POTATO COCONUT CURRY SOUP
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 teaspoon groundnut (peanut) oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 ½ T yellow Thai curry paste, such as Mae Ploy or to taste
1.25 litre (5 c) hot water
1 T Thai fish sauce
600 g (1 ⅓ lb) potatoes*, chopped into 2.5 cm (1 inch) chunks
2 skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) chunks
750 g (1 ⅔ lb) winter squash or pumpkin flesh, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) chunks
1 ½ T potato starch**, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1 x 165ml (5.6 oz) tin coconut milk

* You can use 130 g (⅔ c) white rice instead, if preferred. In this case, omit the potato starch
** Corn flour (corn starch) can be used instead

Method
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan and sauté onions until translucent.

2. Add curry paste, water, fish sauce, potatoes (or rice), chicken and squash.

3. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender, but not mushy. If using rice, it will take about 20-25 minutes for the rice to get soft, mushy and thicken the soup.

4. Stir in the potato starch slurry and stir until thickened, then remove from the heat.

5. Stir though coconut milk. If the soup is too thick, add hot water to the desired consistency. Enjoy!