Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup

I wanted to replicate this awesome pumpkin tom yum I had in a restaurant and this wasn't it but it was still very delicious. It made at least four main serves. Original recipe from Darlene Schmidt at About.com.

Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup


Ingredients

8 cups vegetable stock
1 can thick coconut milk
8 Tbsp. minced fresh lemongrass (I didn't have any of this)
6 kaffir lime leaves, left whole (I didn't have any of this)
1/2 Butternut pumpkin peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
4 cups soft tofu, sliced into cubes (I used fried puffy tofu)
2 shallot, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 thumb-size piece ginger, grated
4 tsp. Thai chili sauce (sambol olak)
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. regular chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
8 Tbsp. soy sauce, to taste (use wheat-free for gluten-free diets)
3 tsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
4 generous handfuls baby spinach, washed
1 cup fresh basil + 1 cup fresh coriander for toppings (optional)




Method 

Place stock in a pot over high heat.
Now add the lemongrass (include the leftover stalk pieces if using fresh lemongrass), plus the kaffir lime leaves, shallot, garlic, galangal or ginger, and chili. Bring to a boil.
Add the pumpkin and sweet potato. Reduce heat slightly and gently boil for 6-7 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, add the spices/flavorings, stirring with each addition: turmeric, chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice.
When pumpkin and sweet potato are soft enough to eat, reduce heat to low.
Now stir in the coconut milk.
Add more lime juice if it happens to be too salty or sweet. If it's too sour for your liking, add a little more sugar; also adjust the spice level by adding more chili or chili sauce. If too spicy, add more coconut milk.
Just before serving, add the soft tofu and spinach and gently stir it into the soup (the spinach will wilt instantly and the soft tofu will heat up in seconds).
Portion out into bowls and top with the fresh basil and coriander.
It's a medium spice factor. For more spice, serve with chili flakes.

Note that this soup can be served as is, or with rice or noodles.
Other Vegetables: Other veggies that can be added to this soup include: carrots, chopped red or green bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, and bok choy.