Vegetarian
Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
Description
Here comes everything we need right at this very moment: Spicy Butternut Squash Soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups ½-inch cubed butternut squash about 1, 2 1/2 pound butternut squash or 32 ounces pre-cubed
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper use more for a spicier soup
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 1 (14-ounce) can reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or cashew butter swap for sun butter or omit if there is an allergy
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon coconut sugar or light brown sugar or honey
- For serving: chopped fresh cilantro or toasted pepitas
Directions
- In a large Dutch oven or similar large, sturdy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the squash, onion, curry paste, ginger, salt, and cayenne. Stir to combine and evenly coat the squash and onion with the spices.
- Cook until the onion is softened and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and adjust the heat as needed so that the onion softens but does not turn brown.
- Stir in the garlic. Let cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is very fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth and coconut milk. Bring the liquid boil, then partially cover the pot and let simmer until the squash is fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the peanut butter, rice vinegar, and coconut sugar. Let simmer gently and stir until the peanut butter is mostly smooth. Taste the soup (get a bit of butternut squash and a bit of the liquid). If you’d like it spicier, add more red curry paste and/or another pinch of cayenne.
- With an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Or working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. BE CAREFUL! Hot soup in blenders loves to splatter. Do not fill more than 2/3 the way to the top or your blender’s max fill line for hot liquids (if it has one). Return the soup to the pot and stir once more.
- Serve the soup hot, sprinkled with cilantro and pepitas as desired.
