Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup with Coconut & Curry

Bright orange Hokkaido pumpkin soup makes a cozy bowl for a cool evening. Coconut milk softens the warm curry flavor, and a scattering of parsley adds a fresh finish. Bring the bread over and settle in.

Squash, vegetables and warm spices

Hokkaido, also called red kuri squash, cooks with floury potatoes, carrots and onion for a thick, smooth soup. Butter softens the onion; coconut milk adds creaminess. Curry powder, nutmeg and black pepper bring warmth, with cane sugar and salt completing the seasoning. Flat-leaf parsley goes on at the end. Water is the cooking liquid.

Cook until tender, then blend briefly

Wash your hands and rinse the squash, potatoes, carrots and parsley under running water. Pat the parsley dry. Dry the squash and place it on a stable board. Cut it open, remove the stem, seeds and stringy center, then cut into manageable pieces. The washed Hokkaido skin can stay on. Peel and chop the onion, potatoes and carrots.

If a small piece of squash tastes bitter, spit it out and discard the squash. Do not try to hide bitterness with sugar or spices; cooking does not destroy the harmful bitter compounds.

Melt the butter in a pot and soften the onion gently. Stir in the curry powder briefly without letting it scorch, then add squash, carrots and potatoes. Add water to just cover the vegetables and simmer until a fork slides easily through each kind of vegetable, including the squash skin.

Take the pot off the heat. Use an immersion blender only if its instructions allow hot soup, following its temperature limits. Keep the blade guard submerged while it runs and switch it off before lifting it out. Blend just until smooth; prolonged blending can make the potatoes gluey.

Stir in coconut milk, cane sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Warm through gently, stirring along the bottom. Add a little water if needed so the soup flows from the spoon. Chop the parsley finely and scatter it over the bowls.

Something crisp beside the bowl

Serve with our whole-grain Toast. Its toasted flavor and crisp edges go well with the smooth squash and coconut. Cut it into strips for dipping, keeping it beside the bowl until you eat.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to peel Hokkaido squash?
No. Its skin is edible. Wash it thoroughly, remove damaged areas and cook the skin until tender with the flesh.

Is the soup vegan?
This version contains butter. For a vegan adaptation, replace it with plant oil and check that the other packaged ingredients are suitable too.

How do I cool and reheat leftovers?
Divide soup into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly at 40°F (4°C) or below, within two hours or one hour above 90°F (32°C). Do not leave the whole pot out to cool completely; discard soup left out longer. Reheat to 165°F (74°C) throughout, stirring and checking several places with a food thermometer.