Pumpkin recipes | RecipeTin Eats

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Nagi — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 04:24:06 +0000

Pumpkin makes cakes soft and tender with a glowing orange colour in a way nothing else can! This Pumpkin Cake is perfectly spiced and comes with a tangy cream cheese frosting. The only thing that could make it better? Maple syrup. So I added it!

Pumpkin cake

This is a pumpkin cake recipe for people who want:

an easy, foolproof recipe (just wait until you see how simple it is!);
a cake with excellent pumpkinness* that’s not overwhelmed by the use of excessive store-bought spice mixes;
a crumb that’s springy, soft and moist, rather than tight/dense or airy/delicate (like angel cake);
a big cake to feed lots of people without the deft required to cut tall layer cakes into 16 tiny slivers; and
a cake with excellent frosting-to-cake ratio. Specifically, a cream cheese maple frosting. A dreamy combination with pumpkin!

So if all that sounds good to you, read on!

* I am not sure that’s a word but it seems fitting here.

Proof of excellent frosting-to-cake ratio. Nobody wants a cake short of frosting!

Ingredients in Pumpkin Cake

Here’s what you need to make this cake.

Pumpkin puree options

I use fresh because it tastes better and takes 8 seconds to puree. Plus, canned pumpkin isn’t readily available here in Australia. But canned works perfectly fine!

Canned pumpkin is a convenient option if you can get it and it works perfectly for this cake. But if you use pureed fresh pumpkin, you’ll be rewarded with a better tasting cake! It’s just a plain fact that freshly cooked pumpkin tastes better than something that’s been sitting in a can for months / years. Yes, we made and compared them side by side.

Use what works for you!

To make your own pumpkin puree, just boil chunks of pumpkin for 10 minutes or until very tender. Then blitz – it literally takes 8 seconds.

Pumpkin cake batter

Here are the other ingredient you need for the batter:

Flour – Plain / all-purpose flour. Self raising flour (also called self-rising flour) will work but it won’t rise as much. I haven’t tried this cake with gluten-free flour.
Oil – Any neutral flavoured oil like canola and vegetable oil. Using oil instead of butter keeps this cake moist. Why? Because butter firms up at room temperature whereas oil does not. So cakes made with oil are more moist. However, the trade-off is that butter tastes better than oil. In this cake, we’ve got other flavours at play here – the pumpkin and cinnamon. So I don’t miss the butter!
Baking powder – This is what makes the cake rise. As a side note, the original version of this cake used a combination of baking soda and baking powder. However, over the years, I’ve found that using only baking powder gives the cake a softer crumb. Plus, we cut out one ingredients.
Cinnamon – Flavour! Classic combination with pumpkin.
Sugar – Regular white sugar, or caster sugar / superfine sugar.
Large eggs at room temperature, which means eggs that are 55-60g/2oz each sold in cartons labelled “large eggs”. They need to be at room temperature, not fridge cold, so they blend into the ingredients better. More information on the right eggs for baking here!
Salt – Just a touch, to bring out the other flavours in this cake. Standard baking practice these days.

Cream cheese frosting

There is no better frosting for pumpkin cake! Here’s what you need:

Cream cheese – use BLOCK, not the spreadable cream cheese in tubs (too soft). If you can only get the spreadable cream cheese, add extra icing sugar to correct the consistency.
Softened unsalted butter – softened but not super soft / borderline melting.
Icing sugar aka powdered sugar – 🇦🇺 Australia, use soft icing sugar, NOT pure icing sugar (which is used for things like royal icing ie sets hard).
Vanilla extract – For flavour.
Maple syrup – UGH, forgot to put it in the photo! This is for drizzling on top. I wanted to put it in the frosting but it made the frosting too loose.

How to make Pumpkin Cake

WHY CAN’T ALL CAKES BE THIS EASY???!!

Whisk wet – Whisk the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin puree.
Add dry – Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt then whisk until combined. Batter. Done!

Bake in a 23 x 33 / 13 x 9″ lined pan (or thereabouts) at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced) for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. See the video for my easy way to line the pan!
Frosting – While the cake is cooling, make the frosting! Just beat the cream cheese and butter for a minute on high until creamy. Then add the icing sugar (powdered sugar) in 3 batches, starting the beater on low to avoid a snowstorm. Once it’s incorporated, crank the beater up to high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the frosting is fluffy!

Slather the frosting on the cooled cake, and use the back of a spoon to make swirly dents for maple syrup to pool in.
Drizzle with maple syrup, as much as you want / dare, then sprinkle liberally with roughly chopped pecans.

And now it’s time to dig in!

Making this cake might be the best decision you make in October. It’s totally straight forward. Your kitchen will smell amazing. It’s big enough to share with those you deem worthy.

And that moment when you take the first bite of that soft cake loaded with beautiful pumpkin flavour, mingling with that tangy cream cheese frosting mixed with rivers of maple syrup and the littering of soft pecans….

I challenge you to stop at one piece. (Even if you cut yourself a very, very big one). – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Fresh or canned pumpkin? I’m in the fresh camp!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe video above. Beautiful moist pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting! A very easy, very forgiving recipe. Nothing gives cakes colour, texture and flavour like pumpkin!

Makes a generous amount of fluffy frosting. Feel free to reduce – some reduces have cut by half!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Western

Keyword pumpkin cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings – 20

Calories 431cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Pumpkin puree options

1 2/3 cups fresh pumpkin puree , I use this (Note 1)
15 oz / 425g canned pure pumpkin , 1 can (Note 1)

Other cake batter ingredients

4 large eggs 55-60g/2oz each), at room temperature
1 2/3 cups white sugar (or caster/superfine sugar, Note 2)
1 cup vegetable or canola oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
2 cups plain/all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp cooking / kosher salt (Note 3)

Frosting

6 oz / 180g cream cheese block, at room temperature (Note 4)
1 cup / 225g unsalted butter , softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted (Note 5)

Finishing

1/3 – 1/2 cup maple syrup (don't be shy!)
1/2 cup pecans , roughly chopped

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Spray and line a large pan around 9 x 13" / 23 x 33cm with baking paper with overhang. (Note 6)
Batter – In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Bake – Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack to cool completely (~ 2 hours) before frosting.
Frosting – Spread frosting on then use the back of a spoon to make swirly dents. Drizzle over maple syrup, concentrating on the dents to create maple syrup pools! Sprinkle with pecans. Then serve.

Frosting

Cream butter – Place the cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Beat for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
Add the icing sugar in 3 batches, starting the beater on low after each addition to avoid a snowstorm. Once incorporated, turn the beater up to high and beat for 3 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Use frosting immediately.

Notes

1. Using pureed fresh pumpkin makes a cake with better pumpkin flavour. Use 800g – 1kg / 1.6 – 2 lb pumpkin. Peel, remove seeds, cut into large chunks. Put in boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until very soft. Drain, leave in colander set over the hot pot on the turned off stove to steam dry and fully cool (around 30 minutes). Then blitz to puree (I use a stick blender) and measure out 1 2/3 cups (400g) and use per recipe.

Canned pumpkin is a popular canned vegetable product in America. You can sometimes find it in the international section of stores that carry American goods. It’s actually very good – it’s just pure pureed pumpkin.While I’d never use some canned vegetable products, I’ll happily use canned pumpkin.

2. Sugar – This can be cut down to 1 1/4 cups if you’d like it slightly less sweet.

3. Salt – I know this looks like a lot but it really brings out the pumpkin flavour in this cake. Be sure to use cooking / kosher salt (coarse salt in the UK). If you only have table salt then reduce to 1/2 teaspoon.

4. Cream cheese – If you can only find the spreadable tub sort which is softer, you’ll likely need to add more icing sugar.

5. Icing sugar – Australia, be sure to use soft icing sugar not pure icing sugar (which sets hard).

6. Cake shape – This cake is so moist and extremely versatile. Make it as a round cake, bundt cake, loaf pan, muffins (25 min).

7. Recipe source – A fantastic recipe received back in 2016 from a regular reader, the wonderful Dorothy from Tennessee!

8. Storage – This cake will stay fresh for 5 days in the fridge. Bring to room temp before serving.

Nutrition assuming 16 servings, including frosting.

Nutrition

Originally published in November 2016. Recipe slightly improved (I now only use baking powder as I find it makes the cake rise more evenly), recipe writing improved (I’ve come a long way in 7 years!), sparkling new photos and a brand new video with me IN it!

More pumpkin recipes

Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Soup

Honey-Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad

Easy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad

Pumpkin recipes

Life of Dozer

Today – visiting a local community garden just a few minutes from home called Happy Hens. What an extraordinary oasis! 100% volunteer run in a beautiful location by the water, filled with an abundance of herbs and vegetables. Everyone is welcome – so locals, drop by to see it and say g’day! Might even see you there. ~ Nagi & Dozer xx

And from the original publication date in 2016:

a) Cruel
b) Cute
c) Funny
d) All of the above

The post Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta

Nagi — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 16:00:00 +0000

How to make roasted pumpkin so much more fabulous with very little effort? A dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation. Kick of fresh chilli. Plus a sprinkle of feta and shower of walnuts! Serve as a side, a meal, pile on toast or crostini. It’s delicious any which way!

Maple roasted pumpkin with feta and chilli

Something magical happens to pumpkin when you roast it. It intensifies the sweetness and caramelises beautifully.

I’d happily eat it plain. But here, we step it up a notch with a few simple additions that work so well with pumpkin. A dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation. Plus a hit of fresh chilli, soft nutty crunchy of walnuts and creamy pops of salty feta…..you know this is going to be good!

That’s dinner, right there. Or a mighty delicious side.

Ingredient you need

Here’s what you need to make this.

The roasting stuff

Pumpkin – Any eating pumpkin. I typically use Kent or Jap which are common varieties here in Australia. Do not use pumpkin intended for Halloween carving, it’s not very pleasant to eat.
Alternatives – Butternut pumpkin (called butternut squash in the States) or sweet potato!
Maple syrup – or honey.
Dried chilli flakes – also called red pepper flakes. I use the regular type you get from ordinary grocery stores but you could absolutely use Asian or other types of chilli flakes. Just be mindful of spiciness!
Red onion – substitute regular onion, eschalots (US: shallots) or the white part of green onions (I often have bunches in the fridge with the green parts unceremoniously hacked off for garnish purposes so am always looking for uses of the white part).
Walnuts – Or other nuts of choice. Almonds and pecans come to mind first. Pinenuts, pepitas and other small nuts/seeds would also work but I’d toss them in partway through cooking so they don’t burn into tiny little black (bitter) pellets.

Finishes

Chilli – This is optional because it’s more for visual than spiciness, because we get enough spiciness from the dried chilli flakes. Large chillis, like the cayenne pepper pictured, aren’t very spicy. Good life rule to remember: the larger the chilli, the less spicy it is!
Danish feta – This is the feta type that is a bit more creamy than Greek feta. Greek feta also works, though I do like the way Danish feta sort of smears as it semi-melts on contact with the hot pumpkin.
If you are making to really impress, go premium by using goats cheese!
Parsley – For pretty green finish.

How to make Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chilli and Feta

This is a recipe that’s more about the finishes. The pumpkin is roasted with onion and walnuts, all tossed with maple syrup. Then once cooked, sprinkle with feta, red chilli and parsley. Then get stuck in!

Cut the pumpkin in 2.5cm / 1″ cubes. To do this I cut into 2.5cm / 1″ slices first. Using a rocking motion as you slice down helps make this easy.
Cut the skin off.
Then cut into cubes.
Pile onto a large paper lined tray with the onion slices and walnuts. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and chilli flakes then spread it out. The more space between the pumpkin, the better. If the pumpkin is too cluttered, it will stew and go mushy instead of caramelising.

Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once at the 20 minute mark, until the pumpkin is light golden and cooked through. You won’t get intense golden colour on the surface, not like plain roast pumpkin cubes (such as in this recipe), because the maple syrup will burn on the edges of the cubes before the surface goes completely golden.
Also, the onion will get quite dark brown. If you notice at the tossing point that it’s getting a little too brown, just push/pile them all together or bury under pumpkin. This will protect them!
Finishing – Give the pumpkin a gently toss to coat it in all the tasty tray juices. Then transfer to a serving platter – single layer is nice for even sprinkling coverage and neat presentation. Sprinkle with fresh chilli, feta and parsley, then serve!

Or – jumble and pile

I know I said a single layer presentation looks nice and neat. But actually, for maximum flavour-melding-more-rustic presentation (aka Nagi style), do most of the sprinkling on the tray, reserving some for garnish. Then transfer into a serving bowl. Flavour jumbling will occur during transfer and piling.

Finish with reserved feta etc to pretty it up.

Whichever way you go, single layer neatness or jumbled piled up rustic-ness, it still rates the same on the deliciousness scale. Which is, in case you hadn’t guessed, very, very high.

Tell me if you serve this as a side or inhale it as a meal! – Nagi x

PS In case you didn’t know I have a whole category of pumpkin side dishes as part of the vegetable and salad side dishes corner of this website! Mostly relatively low effort, like this one, with a scattering of show-offs for special occasions.

PPS This is not the first time I’ve combined pumpkin. See also here and here.

Watch how to make it

Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta

Recipe video above. A seriously delicious, low-effort way to serve roast pumpkin: with a dash of maple syrup for extra caramelisation, a kick of chilli, warm crunch of walnuts and salty pops of creamy feta.

Serves 3 as a main or 6 as a side. I made this with pumpkin but it is just as delicious made with squash or sweet potato!

Course Roasted, Vegetables

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings – 6

Calories 165cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

2 lb / 1 kg pumpkin , peeled, cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes (whole, unpeeled weight – Note 1)
1 red onion , peeled, halved, then cut into 1cm / 0.4" wedges
1/2 cup walnuts , roughly chopped (Note 2)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp maple syrup or honey (sub brown sugar Note 3),
3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
1 – 1 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes , adjust to taste (Note 4)

Garnishes (Optional)

3/4 cup Danish feta (or Greek feta, or upgrade to goats cheese)
1 large red chilli (cayenne pepper), deseeded, finely minced
1 tbsp parsley finely chopped

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
Toss – Place the pumpkin, onion and walnuts on a large, paper lined tray. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then toss to coat (hands really is best). Sprinkle with chilli and salt, toss again, then spread out on a tray. Don't crowd them else they will stew instead of roast!
Roast for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is lightly browned and cooked through, tossing once at the 20 minute mark.
Finishes – Remove from the oven. Gently toss again, then transfer to a serving platter in a single layer. Crumble over feta, sprinkle with parsley and chilli. Or do the sprinkling on the tray then pile into a bowl. Serve immediately!

Notes

1. Pumpkin – Any type for eating is suitable (not Halloween carving). Or butternut or sweet potato!

2. Nuts- Feel free to use other nuts. Large ones similar size to walnuts will take the same time. If using pine nuts, sunflower seeds or pepitas (or other small nuts), add them halfway through the roasting time.

3. Brown sugar sub – Mix with olive oil then toss to coat.

4. Chilli flakes – 1 1/2 tsp has a decent warm, unmissable hum but not super spicy. 1 tsp is more subtle. Feel free to skip it!

5. Leftovers will keep for 3 days.

Nutrition assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition

Serving: 214g | Calories: 165cal

Recipe update: This is an old recipe from 2015 that was in desperate need of spruced up photos, a recipe video tutorial and most importantly, recipe improvements! The same recipe, just tweaked to fix.

More delicious things to make with pumpkin

Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad

Pumpkin Soup

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Honey-Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad

Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin

Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto

Pumpkin recipes

Life of Dozer

Don’t miss Dozer in today’s recipe video!! Did he get to taste test….??

The post Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Nagi — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup is what you make when you want something exotic tasting with very little effort! Think – classic pumpkin soup with Thai Red Curry vibes. Love the beautiful coconut undertones. It’s so good!

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Everybody loves pumpkin soup. It’s comforting, it’s thick, it’s creamy, and it’s easy to make.

But sometimes, we want to make dinner a little more interesting! Enter – Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup. Use coconut instead of cream. Add red curry paste. Fish sauce instead of salt. Thai toppings.

And boom! Our reliable pumpkin soup has had a sexy makeover – and we love it!

Ingredients in Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

We’re using a store bought curry paste today which makes things nice and easy. For the small amount we need (just 3 tablespoons), it’s a convenient option. If using homemade – I applaud you! The flavour in this will be even better, with the beautiful fresh Thai flavours coming through.

The soup

Pumpkin or butternut – Recipe works as written for both pumpkin and butternut squash (we call it butternut pumpkin here in Australia). Use one that is around 1.8 kg / 3.6 lb with the skin on and seeds in. After peeling and deseeding it will be around ~1.3 kg/2.6 lb.
Cutting and peeling – Watch the video for a safe, easy cutting technique for butternut (potato peeler for skin!), and see the Pumpkin Soup video for how I cut pumpkin (cut in wedges then cut skin off).
Thai Red Curry paste – My position on the best store-bought Thai red curry that’s readily available is fairly well documented on this website! Maesri is the best – there is just no question – and it’s the best value. $2.10 for a 115g/4 oz. You’ll need 1/2 a can – so you can make this Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup twice!
Find it at Woolies, Harris Farms and Coles (I’m in Australia), or Asian stores and online. As for other brands – they tend to have less authentic flavour and usually weirdly, overly sweet. However, for a recipe like this where the curry paste is a background rather than key flavour, any curry paste will suffice.

Homemade Thai Red Curry Paste – Recipe here. I generally make then use the whole batch in one go so I rarely have leftovers to use for things like this soup. But it’s an excellent one for freezing, and will really take this to another level.
Onion and garlic – Essential flavour base. Don’t skip these, they add great flavour.
Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have better flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water and have less coconut flavour. Ayam is my default (89% coconut).
Please use full fat. Fat is where the coconut flavour is! Low fat has little coconut flavour.
Fish sauce will give this soup a more authentic Thai red curry flavour than using just salt. Soy sauce can be used as a substitute.
Vegetable stock – Or chicken stock. This is the liquid the pumpkin is simmered in. Tastier than water! Use low sodium, else your soup will be on the salty side.

Garnishes

This is a great soup to have fun with toppings! Adds visual and textural interest as well as extra flavour.

Crispy fried shallot pieces – salty and oily, these are sold in jars and packets at large grocery stores these days, but cheaper at Asian stores! Terrific garnish for all things Asian. I use it liberally – it’s a frequent player in my recipes.
Red cayenne pepper – Use the large ones which are not spicy. Small chillies are spicier!

Coriander / cilantro – Lovely fresh herb used frequently in Thai dishes

How to make Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Fabulously straight forward, you’ll have this on the table in 20 minutes once you start cooking. Don’t shortcut sautéing the curry paste. This really intensifies and improves the flavour. Essential step for almost every curry – most especially curry paste out of a jar!

Sauté curry paste – Get the onion and garlic started first, then add the curry paste and cook it for a good couple of minutes. This caramelises it and intensifies as well as improves the flavour. Key step when using any curry paste out of a jar!
Coat the pumpkin in the tasty curry paste flavour. Give it a good couple of minutes to toast the pumpkin a bit!
Tip: See video for how I peel and cut butternut (potato peeler for skin!), and see the Pumpkin Soup video for how I cut pumpkin (cut in wedges then cut skin off).
Simmer 8 minutes – Set aside a little coconut milk to use as a drizzle for serving. Then add the rest of the coconut milk, stock and fish sauce into the pot and simmer for just 8 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft. It really does not take long.
Blitz with my favourite appliance (stick blender) until smooth. Ladle into bowls, swirl with reserved coconut milk then finish with as many or as little toppings as you’d like!

Roti for dunking

I served this Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup with roti for dunking. That flaky, buttery flatbread of Indian origin, roti stalls are a local and tourist attraction all across Thailand though most Australian’s would associate roti as a menu favourite at Malaysian restaurants.

Not to be confused with the non-flaky roti flatbread that is a staple in Indian cooking, roti is a brilliant store-bought freezer standby that you cook from frozen in a fry pan, and takes just minutes. (Though homemade just got added to my Must Try list!), fairly easily found these days in everyday grocery stores – here’s the one I used from Woolworths.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Recipe video above. This is a brilliant way to turn a classic pumpkin soup into something that tastes more exotic – with very little effort. Think – pumpkin soup with Thai Red Curry vibes. It's so good!

See separate tutorial for how I cut butternut pumpkin and the Pumpkin Soup recipe for how I cut pumpkin.

Course Mains, Soups

Cuisine Asian, Thai

Keyword coconut pumpkin soup, Thai coconut pumpkin soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 302cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil (or other oil)
1 brown onion , diced
2 garlic cloves , finely minced
3 tbsp Thai red curry paste , Maesri recommended (Note 1)
1.8kg/ 3.6 lb pumpkin or butternut squash – peeled, deseeded then chopped into 3cm / 1.2" chunks (~1.3 kg/2.6 lb) (Note 2)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock , salt reduced (or chicken stock)
400ml/ 14 oz (1 can) coconut milk, full fat, best quality (Note 3)
1 tbsp fish sauce (sub light or regular soy sauce, Note 4)

Garnishes (optional):

Crispy Asian shallots , highly recommended (Note 5)
Red cayenne pepper , finely sliced
Fresh coriander leaves
Roti (the flaky kind), frozen, pan fried – for dunking (SO GOOD!) – Note 6

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Sauté – Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until soft.
Add curry paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add pumpkin and stir to coat in the flavours for around 2 minutes.
Simmer 8 minutes – Set aside 1/4 cup coconut milk for garnish. Add stock, remaining coconut milk and fish sauce. Bring to simmer then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
Blitz using stick blender until smooth.
Serve topped with garnishes. Dunk in roti. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Thai Red Curry paste – My position on the best Thai red curry is fairly well documented on this website! Maesri is the best – there is just no question – and it’s the best value ($2.10 for a 115g/4 oz). You’ll need ~1/2 a can.

Find it at Woolies, Harris Farms, Asian stores and online. (Overseas Amazon – US, Canada, UK).

2. Pumpkin – Recipe works as written for both pumpkin and butternut squash. Use one that is around 1.8 kg / 3.6 lb with the skin on and seeds in. After peeling and deseeding it will be around ~1.3 kg/2.6 lb. Watch video for safe, easy cutting technique.

See separate tutorial for how I cut butternut pumpkin and the Pumpkin Soup recipe for how I cut pumpkin.

3. Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have better flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water. Ayam is my default (89% coconut).

4. Fish sauce will give this soup a more authentic Thai red curry flavour, but soy sauce makes a fine substitute.

5. Crispy fried shallot pieces – salty, oily, terrific garnish for all things Asian. I use it liberally – it’s a frequent player in my recipes. Found in the Asian section of supermarket but cheaper at Asian stores!

6. Roti canai – The flaky flatbread of Indian origin that’s now common across South East Asia. Find it in the freezer section of large supermarkets, cook from frozen on the stove in just a couple of minutes. Cheap, tasty, if you’ve never tried it, it’s a game changer! Excellent for dunking in this soup.

7. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4 days or freezer for 3 months.

8. Nutrition per serving, excluding toppings.

Nutrition

More things to make with pumpkin and butternut squash

Pumpkin Soup

Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad

Easy Coconut Curry Sauce

Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts

Honey-Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad

Easy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce

Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta

Stuffed Butternut Pumpkin

Life of Dozer

Dozer going for his first weigh in at his new vet! Who do you think taught him that trick of hanging half off the scales…..

The post Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

How I cut butternut pumpkin (squash)

Nagi — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 05:59:00 +0000

Here’s a quick little tutorial for how I cut butternut pumpkin / butternut squash. I originally had this included in the Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup recipe I also published today but decided to post it separately because it will be useful for other recipes!

How I cut butternut pumpkin

Butternut pumpkin is called butternut squash in the US, UK and pretty much the rest of the world other than in Australia and NZ! It’s part of the squash family and tastes pretty much like pumpkin, though usually it is a little sweeter.

It’s got softer skin that pumpkin so it’s easier to cut. Here is how I cut butternut pumpkin:

1. Peel off the skin using a potato peeler. The skin is softer than pumpkin so it’s easier.

2. Cut in half using a sharp knife. Just straight through the middle, lying down. Use the weight of your body pressing down on the knife and/or rock the knife back and forth.

3. Stand upright, then cut in half again.

4. Halves – Post cutting!

5. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon.

6. Cut the cheeks off the side with the stem (too hard to cut through the stem).

7. Then trim all the butternut around the rest of the stem.

8. Cut – And finally, cut the butternut into the size you want! For the Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup recipe, you want them in 3cm / 1.2″ chunks.

Recipes using butternut pumpkin / squash

I use butternut pumpkin / squash for any recipe I make using pumpkin. It’s a direct substitute – same cooking time, methods, quantity etc.

Here are some of my favourite recipes to try using butternut pumpkin!

Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad

Pumpkin Soup

Maple Roasted Pumpkin with Chili and Feta

Easy Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce

Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto

Vegetarian Lasagna

Easy Coconut Curry Sauce

Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts

Hope you found this useful! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

How to cut butternut pumpkin (butternut squash)

Tutorial video above. This is how I cut butternut squash – called butternut pumpkin here in Australia and NZ. Use butternut as a direct substitute in any recipe calling for pumpkin. Same cook times, cook methods and quantities!

Use to make classic Pumpkin Soup, Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup, roast it, make a salad, a coconut curry or make pumpkin risotto!

Keyword how to cut butternut squash

Prep Time 5

Servings butternut pumpkin / squash

Author Nagi

Ingredients

1 whole butternut pumpkin / butternut squash (same thing)

Instructions

Peel off the skin using a potato peeler. The skin is softer than pumpkin so it's easier.
Cut in half using a sharp knife. Just straight through the middle, lying down. Use the weight of your body pressing down on the knife and/or rock the knife back and forth.
Stand upright, then cut in half again.
Scoop out the seeds using a spoon.
Cut the cheeks off the side with the stem (too hard to cut through the stem). Then trim all the butternut flesh from around the hard stem.
Cut – And finally, cut the butternut into the size you want! For Pumpkin Soup, you will want them in 3cm / 1.2" chunks.

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