Winter is coming, and it is a good time to recommend this deeply satisfying soup that is super simple to make. Please use the full-fat coconut milk — don’t use the “light/lite” unless you want this to taste meh. I also love this recipe because I nearly always have every ingredient on hand, especially in the fall when the butternut squash are in season. The curry powder is from Savory Spice — it’s called Mild Curry Powder. But I call it the “Hippy Curry Powder” because it tastes like every curry I ever had from “vegetarian restaurants” versus actual Indian restaurants. It’s just pretty much a generic, run-of-the-mill, Americanized curry powder.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 medium butternut squash, enough for about 2-3 cups of pulp
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or neutral oil
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cut butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place cut side down and roast for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. When cool, scoop out cooked pulp and set aside. If you want, you can do this a day ahead of time or earlier in the day.
• If you have an Instant Pot, use the sauté function and warm oil. Add onion, garlic, and salt. Sauté for about three minutes. Add curry powder and let cook for about a minute. Once you can smell the curry, add the butternut squash, coconut milk, and water. Turn off sauté mode. Put lid on Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for ten minutes and let naturally release.
• Once slightly cooled, transfer everything from the Instant Pot to a blender (you will likely have to blend in batches) and blend until very smooth. I use my Vitamix and blend on high for a minute or more. Yes, it’s annoying to listen to the blender on high for so long but, trust me, it will make a difference. The goal here is super smooth so it can live up to its name: Luscious Curried Butternut Squash Soup.
• Taste and adjust for salt. If you like a thinner soup, add a little more water.
• If you don’t have an Instant Pot, no worries. After you sauté everything, just let the flavors develop by cooking on the stove for about 30 minutes. And then puree as directed above.
• I have served this with a poppadum crumbled on top, but I also have served it with toasted pumpkin seeds and sometimes with nothing added on top at all.
By Annie Brown.
I just made this soup and it is wonderful. I decided to dice my butternut squash into cubes before roasting and then use my braun hand blender in the pot after it was cooked and cooled down. It came out great.