Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Congratulations friends, we made it through the first Monday of 2016! Now, raise your hand if you’re as exhausted as I am. Hand raised? Yep, I figured. I had to essentially drag myself out of bed this morning, 45 minutes later than I normally wake up – and even that was pushing it. Dan and I went to the Packers//Vikings game last night and didn’t get back into the cities until 3:30 AM. Long story short, they changed the game time from noon to 7:30 PM and it made for a sleep deprived first Monday back. I seem to be the luckiest lady around though, because Dan drove back so I could sleep in the car since I was going to work today. He’s a keeper, folks – minus the being a Vikings’ fan part, that is. 

So anyways, I love love love looooove butternut squash soup and I FINALLY tweaked this version enough to find a recipe that I can make over and over again. Seriously though, I have made this soup three times in the last two months. That doesn’t seem like a lot if you live with a family of four, but when it’s just me that means I eat it all week and then some. All that slurpin’ and I’m still not sick of this soup yet. Plus, you totally need a good veggie based recipe to get over that post holiday hump of trying to detox/still eat food that tastes good. The base for this soup is butternut squash, carrots, and celery so you can totally justify that second cup. While we are talking about being healthy – I tested double chocolate brownies with oat flour this weekend that I cannot wait to share with you guys!

This soup is creamy, ginger-y, and has just the right amount of kick. I added 2 TBSP of Thai red chili paste to this soup and it was exactly what it needed take this butternut goodness to the next level. If you are overly sensitive to chili/heat, then I would recommend adding only 1 TBSP of the chili paste or go with an extra 1/2 can of coconut milk to play down the spice a bit.

Oh my gosh, I haven’t even mentioned the best part about this soup. Are you ready? You can make it in ONE pot. Talk about the easiest dish to kick off 2016.

And no – I don’t want to talk about the Packers game.

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Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Servings: 3 1/2 quarts

Time: 1 hr

 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed *
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 13.5 oz cans full fat coconut milk **
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, gluten free if desired
• 2 TBSP Thai red chili paste ***
• 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
• 1 TBSP ground cumin
• 1 TBSP Aleppo pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt, to taste

 

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Your pot should be able to hold at least 4 quarts. Add onions, garlic, and ginger and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Add carrots and celery and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring soup to a boil. After 5 minutes, reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes until squash is easy to mash with a fork.
3. After 20 minutes has passed, use an immersion blender to blend the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes and pulse in small batches.
4. Reheat mixture if necessary. Enjoy with side salad and fresh artisan bread. Store in airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or in freezer for up to 4 weeks.

AS ALWAYS, ENJOY.

* Trader Joe’s now sells a 2lb bag of cubed butternut squash already peeled and cubed so I used that out of pure laziness

** Substitute one can of coconut milk with coconut cream for a richer taste

*** Use only 1 TBSP chili paste if sensitive to chili spices or heat, you can always add more later.