The butternut squash at the Chesley Farms stand has been calling to me for weeks, so I did what any seasonal food lover would do: I broke down and bought a few. Oh, they’re so good right now. For this, my final CHCM cooking demonstration this weekend, I whipped up a big old pot of curried butternut squash soup. It was quite delicious, if I do say so myself. I should confess that this relatively simple recipe is adapted from the wonderful, vegetarian Cafe Flora Cookbook. (See? I give credit where credit is due….)
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Positively delicious mopped up with a slab of Upper Crust Bakery’s black bread.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1-2 tsp curry powder
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- olive oil
- 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped (yes, not a clove, a HEAD of garlic)
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 3-4 cups of fresh butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into chunks
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can coconut milk
Directions
Dry roast cumin seeds and coriander seeds until fragrant. Grind with a mortar and pestle, then add in curry powder. Set aside.
In a large pot, sauté onion in a spoonful of olive oil for a few minutes before adding garlic and ginger. Add butternut squash and stir in the spice mixture to coat the squash. Add vegetable broth and the bay leaf, then simmer until squash is soft (about 20 minutes).
Puree soup using a blender or food processor, then stir in coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
