With the ubiquitous pumpkin (and, ahem, pumpkin spice) appearing in all manner of dishes sweet and savory this time of year, it’s hard for the humble pumpkin to stand out in the crowd. To that end, I’ve taken a different approach to the ever-popular and crowd-pleasing pumpkin soup. That is, I’ve prepared a comforting and flavorful laksa with chunks of pumpkin — a different use for pumpkin, albeit in a way that feels familiar this time of year.

Laksa is a Southeast Asian spicy noodle soup that can be found in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore. There are three basic types of laksa. Curry laksa is a coconut-based soup traditionally made with rice noodles (vermicelli) and may include shrimp, chicken, fish, etc. Asam laksa omits the coconut milk in favor of something sour, often tamarind, as its base.  A third type of laksa features both coconut milk and tamarind.

First off, to make laksa you’ll need to make laksa paste. Sure you can buy store-bought laksa paste, but making your own yields a much more flavorful (and fresh) version. Don’t be scared off by the unusual list of ingredients. You should be able to find most ingredients at your mainstream grocery store, with the exception of galangal and shrimp paste, which will require a trip to an Asian market.

While galangal is a member of the ginger family, it has a more peppery, piney, earthy flavor than ginger. Galangal can be frozen without losing any flavor.

As for the shrimp paste, don’t be alarmed by its funky, pungent aroma. It mellows out with cooking. It’s essentially a fermented mixture of shrimp and salt. It will last almost indefinitely in your fridge. Similar to adding an anchovy or two to your favorite Italian red sauce, shrimp paste gives laksa an added depth of flavor.

While the (makrut) lime leaves are completely optional, they impart a really interesting florally, citrusy component to the soup.

You can make the laksa paste and steam the pumpkin in advance, so when you’re ready to make the soup, all you need is 15 to 20 minutes for cooking.

Now all that’s left to do is slurp away!

This is red kuri squash, but you could also use the varieties of winter squash, such as butternut or kabocha.

Pumpkin Laksa

Serves 4
1 pound (1 ½ to 2-inch) cubed pumpkin or winter squash (e.g., butternut, kabocha, kuri)
2 tablespoons coconut (or vegetable) oil
¾ cup laksa paste
2 ½ cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
3 to 4 fresh (makrut) lime leaves (optional)
8 ounces cooked rice vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon fish sauce
lime juice

optional: add shredded chicken, shrimp, cubed fish, or tofu

Suggested Garnishes:
fresh herbs (e.g., cilantro, mint, Thai basil)
scallions, thinly sliced
thinly sliced chile or sambal chile paste
lime wedges

Set a steamer basket into a large pot. Fill the pot with water until the water just touches the bottom of the basket. Place the pumpkin cubes in the steamer basket and cover. Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and steam the pumpkin until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add the laksa paste and cook 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant. Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Add the coconut milk and the optional lime leaves, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the fish sauce, steamed pumpkin, and a squeeze of lime. Next, add the optional shredded chicken, shrimp, fish or tofu. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the shrimp/fish/chicken/tofu, if using, is cooked and the soup is warmed through. Taste, adding more fish sauce or lime juice as needed.

Divide the cooked noodles amongst the bowls. Ladle the laksa into each bowl. Top with fresh herbs, scallions, and sliced chiles. Serve with sambal on the side (for those who wish to stir into their soup) and lime wedges.

Laksa Paste

Makes ¾ cup (enough for one laksa recipe )
2 to 4 dried chiles, more or less based on desired level of heat
2 to 4 fresh Thai chiles, minced, more or less based on desired level of heat
1 tablespoon shrimp paste (referred to as Belacan in Malaysian cooking)
2 tablespoons peeled and minced galangal
1-inch piece fresh turmeric (about 1 teaspoon), peeled and minced (or 1 teaspoon dried, ground turmeric)
2 stalks lemongrass, outer tough leaves removed, finely chopped
6 small shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced

Soak the dried chiles in hot water for 20 minutes to soften. Drain. Roughly chop.

To roast the shrimp paste, wrap it in foil and (with tongs) place it over the fire of a gas range or dry-fry in a pan over a low flame for 30 seconds to a minute until the shrimp paste sizzles and becomes fragrant.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or mortar and pestle and process until you have a smooth paste.

You can prepare the laksa paste a day or two in advance. Store refrigerated in an air tight container until ready to use.