Soups and Salads

Thailand’s bounty of native produce empowers the cook to create a kaleidoscopic variety of salads. The very first time I went to Thailand two decades ago the universal and rhythmic pounding of the large wooden pestles that churn out papaya salad immediately captivated me, keeping me coming back year after year. Street food is king in Thailand, if you stop on almost any street corner and look around you’re sure to find a few, if not dozens, makeshift food carts serving some of the most delicious street foods in the world. For about 40 Thai baht (about 1 US dollar) you can have a steaming bowl of soup filled with rice noodles, a side plate of herbs and bean sprouts to add crunch and aroma to every bite, this is food heaven!

Thailand could be crowned the champion of Southeast Asian salads. Begin your Thai salad journey with the Green Mango and Cashew Salad  , its refreshingly bright and tart flavor is one that I never tire of, it wakes up my palate and reminds me why I have such a craving for the salads of Southeast Asia. Thai salads are not always comprised exclusively of vegetables or fruit, the Glass Noodle Salad   is a prime example, where resilient noodles make up the majority of the salad and strips of cucumber and bean sprouts add a cool crunch. Most Thai salads use lime juice to give them a pleasant acidity. The non-traditional Citrus Salad with Crispy Shallots   is one of those recipes where I took a classic dish called Yam Sam-O, and gave it a little twist with the addition of oranges—the combination of flavors makes something naturally delicious. The great thing about these salads is that they can be made ahead of time and brought to a party to show all your friends and family your new Thai cooking skills.

Soup is the ultimate global comfort food. Whether it be the classic, Hot and Sour Tamarind Soup  , the Tart Orange Curry Soup , or the rich coconut laden favorites of the region, like the famed Chicken and Galangal Soup (Tom Kha Gai), which is a favorite around the world. Thai soups illustrate beautifully the universal truth that a “a bowl of soup can satisfy the soul.” Speaking of creamy soups, make sure to try the Silky Butternut Squash Coconut Soup   with sweet wafers of pumpkin or butternut squash, an aromatic and slightly rich broth enriched with shiitake mushrooms and perfumed with anise-scented basil leaves.

Silky Butternut Squash Coconut Soup

This coconut soup is rich yet light. Timidly sweet pumpkin slices are enveloped in a distinctly Thai aroma garnered from the stalks of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and slices of galangal. These aromatics are used to infuse the broth and are left in as a garnish, make sure to tell your guest not to eat them. A handful of basil leaves gets stirred in at the very last moment with it's hint of anise.

Serves 4–6
 Preparation time: 10 mins
 Cooking time: 15 mins

3 tablespoons chili paste in soya bean oil (nahm prik pow)

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 cups (750 ml) vegetable or chicken stock/ broth

3 ¼ cups (800 ml) coconut milk (divided use)

3 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, bruised

6 kaffir lime leaves (substitute 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest)

6 slices galangal (substitute fresh ginger)

1 cup (40 g) fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cut into bite-sized halves or quarters

2 cups (225 g) kabocha squash (substitute butternut squash), ¹⁄8 in (3 mm) thick bite-sized slices

½ cup (40 g) green onions (scallions), sliced into short lengths

¼ cup (7 g) Thai basil leaves, ripped into pieces

1 Whisk together the chili paste, fish sauce, chicken stock, and half of the coconut milk in a large saucepan. Drop in the lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and mushrooms and heat these over a medium heat until simmering gently. Cook this for 5 minutes to ensure infusion of the flavors from the aromatics.

2 Stir in the kabocha squash and remaining coconut milk and simmer until just tender (be careful as the pumpkin seems firm for a few minutes then quickly gets very soft).

3 Stir in the green onions. Simmer for 1 more minute.

4 Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasoning using fish sauce and/or salt. Stir in the basil leaves and serve immediately.