Mornings have been rough. Really rough. I’m not a morning person at all by nature, so it’s hard enough for me to get up as is, throw in the fact that those early hours have become increasingly darker with each passing day, and I’m pretty much still in a coma come 7:30 am.
It also doesn’t help that along with darker days come colder days. Colder days where I just want to pull the covers up over my eyes and hide for the better part of the day, or better yet, pull the covers up to my chin and watch cheesy Lifetime movies for the better of the day. Of course, life doesn’t allow that, so I, like everyone else in this world, have to peel the covers off, put my feet on the cold, hardwood floor and tackle the day.
In these strange transitional days where our bodies are still adjusting to the cruel changes in Mother Nature, my body starts craving transitional foods as well. Give me a piping hot bowl of soup on a cool and rainy fall evening, and you might as well have just given me a fuzzy blanket and roaring fire to warm me from the inside out. Heck, give me a bowl of soup on a blazing summer afternoon, and I’ll still want to become your new best friend.
No matter what the season, soup is always something that’s a constant in my eating habits. Granted, it’s typically because my office is pretty much the equivalent to the North Pole when it comes to temperature, and I can’t justify pumping caffeine into my body at every meal. Sometimes, all it takes is a steaming bowl of broth to alleviate the constant state of goose bumps my body lives in.
In the summertime my soup consumption subsists solely on lighter, broth-based soups, and in the wintertime, heartier good-for-the-soul soups that will fill up my meat-loving husband.
Today’s Pumpkin and Butternut Thai-Style Ramen was the absolute perfect start to the inaugural soup-day-a-week Kevin and I participate in when the weather is shot. Every week, we try a different soup, forgo eating at the dinner table and instead curl up on the couch in front of a fire while watching whatever mutual TV show is on that night. (And by the way, when I saw we “try,” I mean, I cook a different soup each week, and Kevin tries it.)
IF there’s a soup that’s going to warm you from the inside out, it’s this. The base starts with a trio of sliced sweet onion, minced garlic and ginger (The base in almost all of my soups.). Once the aromatics are softened, a heap of sliced shitake mushrooms (my favorite!) are added in for that unami flavor, sliced fresno chile for heat and diced butternut squash, well, because it’s fall.
And then….there’s the broth. A broth that will leave you weak in the knees, both for the unbelievable flavor and lingering spiciness left on the tongue and back of your throat. It will leave you unable to stop slurping it up even though the built up heat is screaming for a cool drink of water. The innate heat comes from red curry paste and the aforementioned Fresno chile peppers, whereas coconut milk and pureed pumpkin cools everything down and adds just a touch of sweetness and depth of flavor.
While the broth is simmering, a raw chicken breast is gently cooked in the mixture, allowing for maximum flavor to be infused into the meat. Once the chicken is cooked through, it’s removed, shredded and then added back into the soup along with the uncooked ramen noodles. The whole pot is simmered until the noodles are soft and pliable, and then it’s ladeled into bowls and garnished with a handful of cilantro and extra thin sliced chiles.
If you are a wimp about heat, don’t fret, just cut down the amount of chiles used or leave them out altogether, you could even add in a little bit more coconut milk or pumpkin puree to cool it down even further. Also, like many soups, this can easily be prepared days in advance. Make everything the day before, but don’t add the noodles or the butternut squash until you’re ready to serve.

Spicy Thai-Style Pumpkin and Butternut Ramen
This Spicy Thai-Style Pumpkin and Butternut Ramen is the most DELICIOUS soup on the planet. For real. It's packed with a spicy curry broth, tons of chewy ramen noodles, sweet butternut squash, and hearty shiitake mushrooms. So comforting.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tsp minced ginger
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 1 fresno chile, sliced thin (one more if you like it spicy!)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 14 oz light coconut milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp red curry paste
- 2 small chicken breasts
- 3 oz chinese ramen noodles (not fried from the package)
Instructions
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In a large pot, heat olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Add mushrooms and chiles, sauté another 2-3 minutes, and then add salt and butternut squash. Cook another minute. Stir in chicken broth, coconut milk, pumpkin puree, red curry paste and chicken. Reduce heat to a simmer until chicken is cooked through, 7-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and shred.
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Add chicken back to the pot along with noodles. Cook until noodles are soft.
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Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with sliced chiles and cilantro.
I’m thinking about implementing a soup-a-day regimen this fall/winter so I can eat this ramen every day. YUM.
I think you should Stephanie!!!
Love everything about this!!! Especially that first photo! Swoon.
Thank you so much Laura!! 🙂
I am so not ready for the days to be getting shorter! I need a bowl of this ramen to cope.
Me too girlfriend, me too. 🙂
Oh I love this! We’ve been in the soup for dinner at least once a week phase for a few weeks now and it’s the best! As much as I love the cooler weather (well, sorta cooler – it was over 80 degrees here today!), the shorter days are not cool. No sir.
I can’t say that I like either. The ONLY reason I’ll take the cooler weather is so I can stay inside and eat more soup!
Minus the mushrooms and swapping in spaghetti squash for the noodles and I am all over this recipe 🙂 I would jump right in!
Oooo I would love to try it with spaghetti squash! Great idea!
How much butternut squash would be ideal for this recipe? Thanks
1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash Nina. Sorry, it was hiding next to the salt on the same line. Fixing!
This is gorgeous!! LOVE everything! 🙂
Thank you so much Tieghan!!!
This is such a cool recipe! I love the idea of adding pumpkin to these flavors!
Thanks Stephanie!
Love the idea of a soup-day-a-week! This soup has so many amazing flavors. Love the spice and I’m always sold on coconut milk!
Thanks Christin!
Wow! Just looking and thinking about this soup is making me warm and cozy! Ramen–I love this! and all those flavors…so amazing. We always make it a point to have soup one day a week as well! Definitely adding this to the list..sadly my husband hates mushrooms, so Ill have to switch it up…but this is perfection!
Kevin used to hate mushrooms too, and now we SORT OF likes them, but still sticks his nose up when I put them in things. Ha! It would be just as good without them, although I would never tell Kevin that! 🙂
Gorgeous, gorgeous photos! Love the use of pumpkin in a savoury way too!
Thank you so much Alessandra! (Pretty name by the way!)
For me it’s been really hard to get up even at or around 8!!! This soup looks so delicious and its the same here too – I cook and he tries!!
Yeah, sometimes it is for me too!! I don’t understand how people get up at 5am — they’re crazy. Thanks Ami!
Oh, I loooove these photos. The mood is just perfect. Now I’m craving soup! This one sounds uniquely delicious.
And I’m not a morning person either. I think that’s what I love about the idea of running my blog for a living. I can sleep in if I want! Although that might not be such a good thing.
Hahaha I hear ya! Work life would be MUCH better if we could tailor to our own schedules!
This is absolute Fall perfection!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Emanuelle! And thanks for coming by!
Nicole, I am seriously “weak in the knees” just looking at that broth! Oh my goodness, totally adding this to the must-make list! You are a genius. Pinned!
First of all, these photos are gorgeous and I want to grab right into the screen and take a big bite! They are so vibrant and colorful! Secondly, butternut squash ramen?! So creative and I bet it tastes amazing! I have such a hard time getting out of bed in the morning too, and the cold doesn’t help at all!
Wow, this soup looks so intriguing! I’m a vegetarian, so I want to try making it with veg broth and maybe tofu. And I love that you do a weekly soup night – sounds like a great way to spend a chilly evening!
It would be delicious with vegetable broth! It definitely was perfect on the cool night we had this! Totally heart-warming. 🙂 Thanks for coming by Nicole!
Okay… I’m just going to say it. This is beyond genius. Like, this is worthy of getting all sorts of coverage and accolades. If I had an award to give, you’d get it. Pinning… and freaking making as soon as possible!
I sooo down for soup-day! I love curling up with a big bowl of homemade soup. Love all the fall ingredients in this ramen!
Did you roast the butternut squash before hand? I’ve never cooked with butternut before. I’m assuming you cut it in half and put it face down in the oven at 375 for about 25 min and then cube it…?
Ali, I did not roast the squash prior. The raw, cubed squash will cook in the broth! Hope that help!
thanks!!
Of course! 🙂
This sounds delicious! I’ll be adding it to my meal plan soon!
Hi, Nicole, what a lovely bowl of ramen, the beautiful colors and the rich broth make me just want to reach in and grab the bowl. Awesome!!!
Thank you so much Judy!!!
What size can of coconut milk did you use?
I made this last night and the flavours were incredible, though not as spicy as I was expecting, so I think I’ll be adding a bit more chili or red curry paste next time.
My broth ended up being quite thick (a little too thick, I think), and I don’t know whether it’s because I used the smaller can of coconut milk since the recipe didn’t specify, or if it’s because the soup reduced too much while I waited for the too-thick chicken breasts to cook through. Any suggestions?
I’m sorry the size wasn’t listed! It should be a 13.5 ounces — updating recipe! Next time, if you your chicken breasts are too thick, try slicing them horizontally so they cook quicker. I’d definitely add more red chiles if you want to up the spice as well.
We made this for lunch while my husband prepped for a big exam – what a treat! The broth was well-balanced with depth of flavor and forgiving, too – we used boneless/skinless chicken thighs since we had them on hand and accidentally added a bit too much pumpkin puree, and it still came out wonderfully. Thank you!
This was a really well balanced meal – my husband loved the balance of coconut with the depth of the curry, vegetables and chicken. It was a forgiving recipe, too: We subbed in chicken thighs and added a bit more pumpkin puree with excellent results. THANKS!
So glad you liked it!!
This soup ROCKS!!!
Taste delicious! I would like to suggest rice noodles instead ramen, it’s absorb more soup and less calories compared to ramen. Have a try!
I’ll have to try it with rice noodles next time! Sounds like a great variation!
Hi Nicole! This twist on ramen looks amazing!
I’d love to include your recipe in a butternut squash round up I’m doing for Parade Magazine this month.
If you’re fine with it, I’d love to use one of your photos with a link back to your original post (https://www.cookingforkeeps.com/2014/10/13/spicy-thai-style-pumpkin-butternut-ramen/).
Let me know your thoughts, and thanks so much!
Felicia
Yep! Sounds great Felicia! I’d love to get the link when it goes live! My email is cookingforkeeps@gmail.com. Thanks!
“IF there’s a soup that’s going to warm you from the inside out, it’s this. The base starts with a trio of sliced sweet onion, minced garlic and ginger (The base in almost all of my soups.). Once the aromatics are softened, a heap of sliced shitake mushrooms (my favorite!) are added in for that unami….”
I think you meant umami 🙂 Great recipe, thanks 😀
Love your spicy thai style pumpkin butternut ramen recipe. I’ll definitely try it, but instead of 3 teaspoons minced ginger i’ll use 4 tsp.! I found your post from Pinterest! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing, Nicole!
Thanks Jill!
Hi Nicole,
I love your spicy thai style pumpkin butternut ramen. Thank you for sharing the recipe of this special dish. I will obviously try this tonight for dinner. Thumbs up! 🙂
So glad you like it!
Wow! This is gorgeous. I bet they would be scrumptious spicy thai style pumpkin butternut rame amazing for kids. Will definitely try this for my son. Thanks for sharing.
Greetings! I am so excited to try this tonight. Would you say that this recipe is too spicy for a 2 year old, who likes just a small amount of spiciness? Just wondering if I should cook a little separately for her. Thanks so much.
Hi! I actually have a two year old as well, and he loves it! If it’s too spicy for her, you can always add a little bit more coconut milk or chicken broth.
Oh my! This spicy thai style pumpkin butternut ramen was delicious and so easy to make! Will have to try this for my family. Thanks so much!
I love eating and making ramen and this new recipe was truly a pleasant surprise, I really enjoyed it.
Thank you for another fantastic recipe, so many flavor notes, very satisfying. It’s like a great big hug!
So glad you liked it Rimmy!
Can’t wait to make your recipe. I really love it that you use such a small amount of the curry paste. And those perfect mushrooms. Gorgeous photos too! Just YUM!!
I love the colors in this soup, so beautiful. Can’t wait to try this Thai inspired soup:)
I am a huge fan of ramen! I haven’t seen this combo. Looks amazing! I must make this this weekend.
This is such a lovely blog. The photographs make me want to prepare and consume this pumpkin ramen and I’m not much of a cook.
I’ve tasted some Thai style recipe, but I’m not satisfied. When I discover the recipe, I cooked it as soon as possible I can. I’m glad that the result is awesome.
Amazing and beautiful!
I am gluten free so Ramen noodles won’t work. Will rice noodles work?
Yes!
Gorgeous photos, and the flavor combinations in this just sound delicious.
There is so much cozy inspiration in this post! Pumpkin soup can be a little bland, but you’ve really taken it to a whole new level!
I love the colors in this soup, so beautiful. Can’t wait to try this.
I love the colors in this soup, so beautiful.
I guess there’s always an easier way …
I made this for dinner tonight. For anyone subbing tofu for the chicken… don’t toss it in when the chicken would go in. 😉 I should have fried up the tofu and added it at the very end. Mine turned out super, super thick. There was no soup left because the tofu disintegrated while cooking (even though it was extra-firm tofu!). My mistake! Thanks for the recipe! I loved the idea of adding the squash and the pumpkin. That was amazing!
Oh bummer! Thanks for commenting though so future readers know!!
Hi Nicole! I would like to make this soup for my husband and I. But the sodium is way to high for us. I can’t figure out where all the sodium is coming from. Unless it’s the curry paste. If so, could I replace the paste with powder? And if so, what amount would you suggest? I will be using rice noodles instead of ramen. Only because I have those on hand. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks!
Hey Nicole,
That’s a great article about spicy tha -style pumpkin butternut ramen.
Thank you.
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for your best article about spicy thai style pumpkin butternut ramen.
Keep your good job.
Hello there,
That’s a great article about spicy thai style pumpkin butternut ramen.
keep your good job.