It’s soup season - so, why not help yourself to a heaping bowlful of my Butternut Squash Soup. This soup is creamy and smooth and is jam-packed with vegetables, big and bold flavours and a ton of umami. You would be hard-pressed to stop at just a few spoonfuls. It’s just that satisfying and tasty!
Roasting the butternut squash, onions and garlic is the SECRET here! This cooking process promotes caramelization and brings out the inherent sweetness of the vegetables. Add vibrant Thai curry paste, warming ginger and rich and silky coconut milk to the mix and you've got yourself a soup to write home about. For an extra flavour boost, garnish this soup with cilantro leaves, sliced green onions and garlic chips! Yes, you read that correctly - Garlic Chips! Not only do these chips add a little crunch with every spoonful but they impart a ton of garlic flavour!
This homemade soup has always been a fan favourite and can be enjoyed year-round for lunch, dinner or as a snack. It also makes for a festive and perfect starter at your holiday celebrations! So, let me show you how it's done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
For more delicious and flavourful soup ideas, check out my White Bean and Kale Soup, Roasted Carrot Soup and Classic Borscht recipes!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients:
2 medium butternut squash (approx. 3.5 lbs), peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
1 head of garlic
3 Tbsp avocado oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
6 cups vegetable broth (See Notes below)
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 can (400mL) unsweetened coconut milk, shaken
1 Tbsp red Thai curry paste (See Notes below)
A handful of cilantro leaves, as garnish
2 thinly sliced green onions, as garnish
Homemade Garlic Chips, as garnish (See Notes below)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425F and set aside a 21”x15” rimmed baking sheet.
Preparing the Garlic: Grab the garlic bulb and, using a sharp knife, cut off the top, just enough to expose the garlic cloves.
Roasting the Vegetables: Add the butternut squash, onions and garlic bulb to the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and garlic powder. Give the vegetables a good toss, ensuring that they are well coated in oil and seasoning.
Roast the vegetables for 40 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cook time. You know your vegetables are done when they are fork tender and slightly caramelized in colour.
Once cooked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the vegetables cool slightly. Grab the garlic bulb and give it a good squeeze to release the cloves of garlic. Discard the garlic skin.
Working in 2 batches, add 1/2 of the vegetable mixture, 3 cups of broth and ginger to a high-powered blender. Blend for 30 seconds or until silky and smooth. Repeat the process with the remaining vegetables and broth.
Preparing the Soup: To a large stockpot, set over medium heat, add the vegetable puree, coconut milk and curry paste and mix until fully incorporated. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Transfer the soup to serving bowls and garnish with a few cilantro leaves, sliced green onion and a sprinkling of garlic chips. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
For All You Garlic Lovers Out There: Meet your newest obsession - Garlic chips! These little chips add a ton of garlic flavour and some crunch to this savoury soup. If you’d like to take this dish to new heights, then you’re going to want to make these chips! Here’s how: Start by peeling and thinly slicing 4 garlic cloves. Add 3 Tbsp of avocado or olive oil to a small skillet set over medium heat. Once hot, toss in the sliced garlic and cook them for 3 minutes or until slightly golden in colour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic chips from the skillet and transfer them to a plate. But, wait! Don’t throw out that oil as it’s infused with tons of garlic flavour. Do yourself a favour and pour it into a small ramekin and repurpose and use it in your favourite recipes! You won’t be disappointed!
Interchanging the Stock: Vegetable broth keeps this recipe vegetarian and/or vegan. However, if you want a meatier profile, simple substitute the vegetable broth in this recipe on a 1:1 basis with chicken broth or stock.
What if I Don’t Have Coconut Milk On Hand: If you don’t have an extra can of coconut milk stowed away in your pantry, have no fear! You can simply substitute the coconut milk in this recipe with milk (1%, 2%, anything goes) or heavy cream on a 1:1 basis.
Thai Curry Paste: If you’ve never had Thai curry paste, then you’re missing out! It comes in a variety of flavour profiles and colours (red, yellow and green). You can use whatever Thai curry paste you have on hand but I love using Thai Kitchen’s Red Curry Paste. This curry paste is made using a combination of red chilli peppers, garlic, lemon grass, galangal and other spices, which add tons of umami notes and bold flavours to this simple soup.
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