Mmmmm…. butternut squash soup- light, healthy, comforting, and delicious. This one has a little kick, which I like! Otherwise, it’s pretty simple and straight forward. To give the texture and flavor a little boost, I mixed in carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and ginger. Blended with fresh thyme and sage, as well as cumin, cayenne, and coconut milk, it’s flovorful yet sutble. I topped it with brown-buttered sage leaves- for an extra dash of yummm! I was really craving these flavors and even on a hot day, the soup was still nicely light and refreshing. It’s great served with rice, salad, or any sort of southern Asian influenced protein. I served it with a simple coconut-curry chicken (HERE) and rice. Get creative and see what you end up craving with it… I’m curious to hear what you think and what you make with it!
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
For soup…
For soup…
1 butternut squash
2 celery stalks
1 carrot
3 garlic cloves (or 2 if large)
1/2 onion
2 thick ginger slices (about 1/2 inch)
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne (this has a kick- use less if prefer not-spicy)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk (regular, not light)
salt and pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp each)
olive oil, couple tbsp
2 celery stalks
1 carrot
3 garlic cloves (or 2 if large)
1/2 onion
2 thick ginger slices (about 1/2 inch)
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne (this has a kick- use less if prefer not-spicy)
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk (regular, not light)
salt and pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp each)
olive oil, couple tbsp
For brown-buttered sage…
6 fresh sage leaves
2 tbsp ghee/butter
6 fresh sage leaves
2 tbsp ghee/butter
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cut squash in half with a large knife
Drizzle with oil oil, salt, and pepper
Place face down on a baking sheet (I line mine with foil for easy-cleaning)
Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes, until skin looks browned and squash is soft
(When it’s done, it’ll look something like this)
While the squash is cooking, begin prepping veggies…
Cut everything into small chunks- they will all be pureed later so no need to be too precise
HEat some oilve oil (about 1-2 tbsp) in a large pot over medium heat
Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and let cook for a few minutes
Add chicken broth, thyme, and seasonings (dried sage, cayenne, and cumin)
Turn to low/medium and let cook until squash is done, about 15 minutes
Remove squash from oven and let cool a wee
When cool enough, cut into sections and begin removing flesh from skin
Cut into bite-sized pieces…
And dump in pot with veggies and broth
Stir, add salt and pepper, cook for a few minutes on low
Transfer veggies/broth to food processor
(you may have to do half at a time, depending on size of food processor)
Blend until smooth
Transfer back to pot
Get your 1/2 cup coconut milk ready…
And stir in
Cook on low for about 10 minutes more to let absorb flavors and cook down
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired
While soup is cooking, prepare sage leaves
Heat about 2 tbsp of ghee (or butter) in a small pan over medium heat
Set leaves in ghee/butter and cook for a few minutes, until becoming lightly crisp and dry
Flip and repeat
Set leaves on a little napkin/paper towel…
And don’t toss away that sage-butter sauce in the pan- it’s too good- use it as a drizzle over the soup!!
Ladle soup into bowls, set leaves on top, drizzle with sage-butter,
and top with pepitas or sunflower seeds, if you wish!!
