Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut

Winter Squash is available at nearly every farmers' market this time of year so it makes sense that it be featured at the Rhinebeck Farmers' Market as part of the closing day festivities. It can be pretty chilly shopping outdoors in November in these parts so the market always offers a cup of soup to shoppers to keep them warm while they stock up for their Thanksgiving feasts. This year I offered to prepare the soup. The coconut milk adds a surprise flavor that melds beautifully with the squash.

Ingredients:

• 2 Butternut Squash
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Onion – if you can find a sweet onion use that, otherwise a yellow or white onion is fine
• 2 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg
• 1 14 oz Can of Coconut Milk - Thai Kitchen makes one that is widely available
• Salt and Pepper
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. A grapefruit spoon works great for this.

...and by the way, save the seeds and use them in the recipe for Pepian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Brush the cut side of the squash with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking dish, cut side up and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.

Remove from the oven and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin and discard, set the pulp aside.

Chop the onion by cutting off the root and stem ends. Slice in half pole to pole, then make slices across, turn and cut across. Don’t worry about making it pretty, this is all getting blended in the end.

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, add the onions along with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

Saute' until golden and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the squash and mash it up with a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce the temperature, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool a bit.

Working in batches, puree the soup until very smooth and return to the pot. Bring back to a simmer and stir in the nutmeg. Then slowly stir in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk on top if you wanna be fancy.

Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut

from: at the farmers’ market

Ingredients:

• 2 Butternut Squash
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 1 Onion – if you can find a sweet onion use that, otherwise a yellow or white onion is fine
• 2 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg
• 1 14 oz Can of Coconut Milk - Thai Kitchen makes one that is widely available
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut side of the squash with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, cut side up and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin and discard, set the pulp aside.
Chop the onion. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium high heat. When the butter starts to sizzle, add the onions along with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Saute' until golden and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the squash, mash it up, add the broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce the temperature, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool a bit. Working in batches, puree the soup until very smooth and return to the pot. Bring back to a simmer and stir in the nutmeg. Then slowly stir in the coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk on top.