mary and sara's butternut squash soup
Tuesday, 12 January 2010

mary and sara's butternut squash soup

tori ritchie Tuesday Recipe

This butternut squash soup isn’t the usual stuff. Created by my pals Mary and Sara, it’s buzzed up with curry, ginger, coconut milk, and lime. I had pre-cut butternut squash from the grocery store in my fridge (a shortcut I highly recommend; you need about a pound of it) so it came together really fast. Mary and Sara also serve this like a stew, leaving the squash pieces large and ladling them over cooked rice or quinoa. I mashed the squash in the pot with a potato masher so it was more coarsely pureed.

squashsoup.jpg

serves 4 to 6

prep time: 20 minutes

cook time: 35 minutes

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, or 3 tablespoons chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 medium butternut squash (about 1-1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon green curry paste (see note)
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/2 cup coconut milk
juice of 1/2 lime
1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional
cilantro and lime wedges for garnish (optional)

Place a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onions and the ginger. Stir in the curry powder and the salt. Cook, with an occasional stir until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and green curry. Cook for a few minutes, stirring to ensure that the onions don’t burn. It’s important that you get some good caramelization on the bottom of the pan.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the squash is tender. (You can cook it a bit longer if you want the soup to be “squashed,” or a little less if you want a brothier consistency with firmer bites of squash.)

Finally, stir in the coconut milk, then add the lime. Taste and, if necessary, add the sugar (each butternut squash has its own unique concentration of sugars, so add as needed). Garnish with cilantro leaves and/or a lime wedge.

note: for the green curry paste, the twins recommend Mae Ploy brand, but say Thai Kitchen (which is widely available) works just fine; that’s what I used.