Heidi Swanson

photos © Heidi Swanson

This morning I feel as if I have hit the jackpot! While searching for a pumpkin soup recipe for dinner I came across 101 Cookbooks written by Heidi Swanson. I instantly fell for her breezy writing style and the premise of her website. Heidi best sums up Cookbooks 101, “When you own over 100 cookbooks, it is time to stop buying, and start cooking. This site chronicles a cookbook collection, one recipe at a time.”

Oh how I relate—the number of times that I have promised myself to actually start using my cookbooks and stop buying more is just too numerous to count! It turns out that Heidi is a remarkably talented woman. In addition to her fabulous website, she is also an author and brilliant photographer.

Below is the recipe for Thai-spiced Pumpkin Soup Recipe. Enjoy.

Note: Keep in mind that different Thai curry pastes have differing strengths. Start with a teaspoon to start and then build from there until the soup has a level of spiciness and flavor that works for your palate. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds.

2 acorn squash, pumpkins, or other smallish winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon (or more) red Thai curry paste
water
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place the oven racks in the middle.

Carefully cut each squash/pumpkin into halves (or quarters). Slather each piece of squash with butter, sprinkle generously with salt, place on a baking sheet skin sides down, and place in the oven. Roast for about an hour or until the squash is tender throughout.

When the pumpkins/squash are cool enough to handle scoop it into a large pot over medium high heat. Add the coconut milk and curry paste and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender, you should have a very thick base at this point. Now add water a cup at a time pureeing between additions until the soup is the consistency you prefer - a light vegetable stock would work here as well. Bring up to a simmer again and add the salt (and more curry paste if you like, I used just shy of 6 teaspoons but the curry paste I use is not over-the-top spicy).

Serves six.