There’s nothing more exciting about changing seasons than finding the new produce at the farmer’s market. Well, except maybe the wardrobe changes. It’s a toss up. For so many of my friends, this is their favorite season; for the weather, the boots, the apples, scarves and squashes. This one is for you.
Red Thai curry paste gets mashed with garlic and coats big chunks of butternut (or whatever your favorite is) squash. In goes the stock – cook til tender. Puree and add coconut milk. Easy peasy. I bet you can come up with way more exciting garnishes than this, I just threw on some cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds. Have at it, and if you come up with something great, please share with us. I can imagine this would be great with a small kabocha or a few delicata squashes, both are quite sweet and have edible skins, which eliminates the most time-consuming part of this recipe, peeling the squash.
Thai Curry Squash Soup
1 T. coconut oil
1 T. red Thai curry paste
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small-ish butternut squash, or another squash you like – about 2-3 lbs., peeled and cut into chunks
3 c. vegetable stock
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (not lite)
sea salt to taste
toasted pumpkin seeds and chopped cilantro to garnish
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the curry paste and squish around for about a minute, then add the garlic. Keep stirring for another 30 seconds, then add the squash. Toss to coat the chunks in the curry mixture, then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, turn to low and simmer, covered, until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
Turn off the heat and puree – I used an immersion (stick) blender, which makes pretty easy, fast work of this, but if all’s you’ve got is a regular blender, fear not. Just transfer the soup in batches, making sure to vent the blender. When all the soup is smooth and back in the pot, add the coconut milk. Turn the heat back on, to about medium low, and cook for a few minutes to work in the milk. During this time, taste, and depending on the saltiness of your stock, you may need to add more salt. Keep adding, pinch by pinch, until the flavors pop.
Serve topped with the pumpkin seeds and cilantro.
serves 4-6

























