This Coconut Curry Noodle Soup with Butternut Squash + Spinach is an easy, warm and flavorful soup recipe that’s naturally gluten free and vegan optional!
We’re half way into February, and I just can’t seem to get enough soup in my life.
I love this soup because it doesn’t make me want to eat a bunch of cheesy bread with it. All it requires on the side is a melange of bowl-enhancing toppings.
This Coconut Curry Noodle Soup with Butternut Squash and Spinach is made with rice noodles, so it’s totally gluten free and also happens to be completely vegan. It’s such a cozy and satisfying bowl of soup that’s loaded with healthy ingredients and tastes like an exotic trip abroad.
To make a truly rich and flavorful coconut curry noodle soup, you have to start with an aromatic homemade curry paste. This one consists of garlic, ginger, chilies and spices – you know, the basics. Buzzing them up in food processor seems like an extra, unnecessary task, but believe me when I tell you it’s a while lot easier than cutting them all up by hand. Go with it. (and make someone else do the dishes.)
Full-fat canned coconut milk adds depth and creaminess. Skimp on the fat and you’ll skimp on the flavor. Butternut squash and spinach make up the bulky, vegetable component, but you can absolutely switch it up and add whatever you damn please. Sweet potatoes or any other winter squash can easily replace the butternut, while kale, chard or just about any other green could sub in for spinach.
I kept this recipe totally vegetarian, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t add a little protein if you want. It would be great with shredded chicken, shrimp or even cubes of firm tofu, even though I just don’t think it needs it. This coconut curry noodle soup takes very well to customization, so have at it. Use less chilies if you prefer something milder, add more broth and less coconut milk for a thinner texture. Do whatever feels right.
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This Coconut Curry Noodle Soup with Butternut Squash + Spinach is an easy, warm and flavorful soup recipe that’s naturally gluten free and vegan optional!
Ingredients
- 2 – 3 Thai bird chilies, seeded for mild heat
- 2 shallots, halved and peeled
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro stems, (save leaves for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 14-ounce cans unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- 6 cups vegetable broth (feel free to sub chicken if not vegan)
- 4–5 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1/4 cup fish sauce (omit if vegan)
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 10 oz bag baby spinach
- 8 oz vermicelli rice noodles
- thinly sliced red onion, shallots or scallions, for serving
- lime wedges, for serving
- chili flakes, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Add the chilies, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry, and 1/4 cup water to a food processor. Blend on high until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add coconut oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the puree and cook, while stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes to bring out the flavors.
- Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth and butternut squash, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add the fish sauce and sugar, then taste and season with Kosher salt as needed. Stir in the spinach, then cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
- In the meantime, cook the noodles according to the package directions, then rinse them with cold water and keep them on the side (they will overcook and turn mushy if you add them directly to the pot).
- Ladle the soup into bowls, then add a handful of rice noodles. Serve immediately with red onion, lime wedges and chili flakes on the side.
Keywords: easy, asian, curry, soup, noodle, recipe, butternut squash, spinach, coconut, spicy, Thai
Nicole Gaffney, aka Coley, is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, tv host and food writer.
I do not understand how this recipe can be called “totally vegetarian” when it used fish sauce?? Is there anything that could be used in place of the fish sauce, to actually make it vegetarian?
You can leave out the fish sauce and it will still be delicious. Just add more salt to make up for it.