Coconut Curried Winter Squash Soup
- 1 medium-sized buttercup, butternut, red kuri, or small Baby Blue Hubbard squash (3-4 lbs. size), halved and seeded
- 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely minced
- 1 tablespoon curry power
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1 lime, juice of, or more as needed
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place the squash skin-side up in a baking dish. Add 1 inch of water to the baking pan. Bake for about 1 hour, until the squash is completely tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool slightly.
While the squash cools, heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, jalapeno; curry, and ginger. Simmer until the spices are fragrant and the garlic just begins to color, about 5 minutes more. Do not let the spices scorch or they will become bitter. Remove from the heat.
Scoop the flesh from the squash skill. Combine half of the squash in a blender or food processor with half the spices and half the broth. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan. Repeat with the remaining squash, broth, and spices.
Add the coconut milk and lime juice to the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and lime juice as needed.
Reheat over medium heat until hot, stirring frequently. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro. Serve hot.