By Vida Gustafson
Contributing Writer
With the onset of a chill in the air, this is the perfect meal to warm you back up. It’s also healthy, easy on the wallet and simple to put together.
Roasting the butternut squash whole like this is the best way I’ve found to get sweet and tender squash, ready for any recipe.
Ingredients
1 medium-sized butternut squash
1 onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mild Madras curry powder (or spicy if you prefer)
1 can coconut milk (or substitute half and half)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: roasted pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and plain yogurt for garnish
Equipment
Food processor or immersion blender
Method
Wash your squash thoroughly and place whole on the center rack of your oven for 60-90 minutes (depending on size) at 400 degrees. Roast until fork tender. Be sure to put a piece of parchment paper under the rack to catch any drips.
Once the squash is done roasting, start sautéing your chopped onions until they are translucent, with the curry powder, salt, black pepper, olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan. This will take about 10-12 minutes over medium heat.
Cut open the squash and separate the seeds from the cooked flesh using a spoon. You can now scoop the cooked squash directly into your food processor, but be careful not to burn yourself.
Add in the sautéed onions and blend until smooth. It is important to blend the soup while the onions and squash are still hot, to get a finer consistency. You can now add the coconut milk or half and half and blend to combine.
Return the mixture to the saucepan you used for the onions. If you are using an immersion blender instead of a food processor, all the blending should be done in the saucepan. Check for seasoning and thickness. If you prefer a thinner soup, it is best thinned out with some vegetable or chicken stock. I garnished mine with some plain yogurt, cinnamon and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Bon appétit!
